Abandoned Reverence
by Archaven
Summary: Epilogue is UP!!! Hooray!! It's done! (Just needs to be edited) :) Take note-this is an AU fic. Hilde is having a hard time getting over her together-since-childhood boyfriend, a battered stranger who calls himself 'Duo Maxwell' falls on her balcony
1. Prologue

Abandoned Reverence  
  
  
  
Author's Note: This will be my first completely finished (hopefully) and fully submitted chapter story. I don't like the idea of 'borrowing' ideas, but I once read this DBZ fic with chapters, and the author clearly stated that she wanted to see ten reviews before she would post the next chapter. I really liked that idea, so here you go. The next chapter to this story is already written out and waiting, all you have to do is submit a review (good or bad, I don't mind) and only then will I upload the next chapter. I really hope this works (it only will if you like my story enough to send a review). Enjoy! ~_^  
  
-Veledore  
  
  
  
* indicates thought  
  
~ indicates flashbacks  
  
  
  
Prologue:  
  
The night breeze sifted along its lazy course playing with the black spiky bangs of her hair and blowing soft kisses on her flushed cheeks. A stream of tears dribbled along her face tracing her jaw line with its salty mixture. She sniffled once reaching absently with her hand to wipe the drops away. A violet spark glimmered in the depths of her dark eyes-a wild fire not ever to be tamed.  
  
*I can't believe I'm letting this get to me,* she thought fiercely suddenly ashamed by her portrayed weakness. *Jeff was always a lying cheating jerk,* she thought trying once again to reassure herself. *You'll be better off without him,* she thought firmly. Her head told her these things, but heart knew it wouldn't be so easy.  
  
They had grown up together, gone to school together, shared laughs and sorrows. Kindred spirits destined by all means to be lovers, perhaps something even more. *Soul mate,* Hilde bitterly tasted in her mind cringing at the mere prospect. Yeah, right, what a load of crock. Jeff's problem was that he couldn't keep his tongue to himself (literally) and that he didn't know how to keep his pants zipped.  
  
Yet still, Hilde sighed, he had been something special. When they were both fifteen years old, he took her to a year-round carnival to the top of the Ferris wheel were he asked her if she would be his girl. It was Valentine's Day, and every year afterward they went back to the exact same ride, rode the exact same cart (number sixteen) and made out at the top like the hormone-crazed teenagers they were. *Six years,* she thought incredulously.  
  
Her favorite thing about him had been his brilliant mind especially in his writing. They were both journalists for their small newspaper growing more and more popular by the issue. He was the editor and called her his 'Top Agent', or at least he had until the shimmering blonde big-breasted Mindy had crawled into his lap telling him that her rich daddy would really appreciate it if she were hired on as a top journalist. That was another one of Jeff's weaknesses, money. He could never quite get enough of it.  
  
Disgusted, Hilde pushed herself up from her slumped position over the railing of her balcony overlooking a currently peaceful sea-green ocean. A dazzling layer of diamond stars glittered overhead against a majestic blue backdrop, and Hilde didn't want to pollute such beauty with thoughts of him. She turned and walked back through the double sliding glass doors into her single bedroom apartment.  
  
Hilde was proud of her abode; it wasn't any kind of fancy first class luxury suite mind you, but it most certainly wasn't cheap either. To the left was her living room where a homely blue couch sat against the north wall, and matching loveseat faced the west. Her generous sized entertainment center holding a TV, a stereo with speakers, a VCR, and a DVD player was perched cattycorner to the loveseat. All of the floors were wooden (save the kitchen's which were white tile), but a thick light green rug covered the living room providing a soft cushion to a barefoot passerby. To the left nestled a small dining room with one large oak table and a few chairs were strewn about its length. South of the dining room was another room with a cozy kitchen and unusually bright fluorescent lights. Next to the kitchen and adjoining the living room was a hallway leading to the bathroom and her master bedroom.  
  
Sliding the door close behind her so that the nightly chill wouldn't seep in, she paused for a moment considering her options. She could watch a little TV, try and pass the time with the miseries of other people, but she felt too glum for that. *Only one solution then,* she thought making her way through the dining room to the kitchen and reaching for the cabinet over looking a stainless steel sink and removing a bottle of liquor. She usually made it a point not to use alcohol to throw off her problems, but tonight she felt so depressed it seemed like the only good and desirable choice.  
  
Her body didn't take to the alcohol well, and it didn't ever take too much to get her drunk. After a bottle she was stumbling around her living room laughing out loud at nothing in particular and tripping over every corner of every piece of furniture in the room. Half of another bottle and she was out like a light sprawled on the floor, one leg propped on the seat of the couch and one hand loosely holding the bottle she hadn't even bothered pouring in a glass. The remains of its brewy contents leaked in a dark puddle on the ground.  
  
While she dozed a nightmare slipped in quietly not giving her enough time to wake. The dream started normally enough, she was in a park on the jogging path she ran daily. She was running in the dream as well and she passed the same faces seen every day giving them greetings as she followed the dirt road with trees growing thickly on either side. Suddenly Jeff appeared before her and she slammed into his chest. His arms snaked around her waist in a possessive hold and for a moment she leaned against his torso breathing in his scent. It smelled strongly of his cologne-a powerful spicy mixture. She felt then that her actions were wrong and pulled back looking into his deceivingly captivating hazel eyes. Realization hit her like a wave and she pulled away turning to leave, but felt her arm jerk back. When she examined her wrist she found a pair of handcuffs, one link closed on hers, and the other on his. "We were meant for each other Hilde," he whispered into her ear when she turned and tried fleeing. "Now we'll be together _always_."  
  
"NOOO," she screamed, in her physical body a lump rose in her throat making it hard to swallow the sound.  
  
"It's too late," Jeff whispered evilly as she struggled. "No one else will have you, you're mine."  
  
"NOOO," she cried her eyes snapping open and her body jerking upwards. She instantly regretted the action as a splitting headache wracked through her head. She groggily laid back down trying to sort through a melange of emotions coursing warp speed through her mind. His words echoed hollowly through her bones as the nightmare was recounted.  
  
~ Hilde pranced through the halls not pausing as she passed the secretary's desk. She had done it, Jeff would be so proud! Earlier that morning he had told her about his desire to get an exclusive interview with Robert Haverd, the democratic candidate running for president. It hadn't been easy; in fact it had taken the better part of all afternoon, but pulling a few strings here and talking to the right people, Hilde had managed to get him his interview. He'd probably let her go and perform it as well which made her feel even giddier. This would be the best break the 'West Jost' had ever seen.  
  
She threw open his office door and leapt in-only to find breasty Ms. Mindy practically giving Jeff a lap job, his hand burrowed up her shirt. She hadn't said a word, just turned and stormed off throwing the papers in her hand on the floor. Behind her she could hear his calls fading.  
  
She had reached her home with a heavy heart crying for a while, drinking a bit, then crying some more, and to her disgust, waited for him to call. Wanting, needing to hear his explanation. ~  
  
The call had come, and Hilde could still hear high-pitched whiny sounding voice on the other line. "But Hilde baby, I thought you wanted us to see other people."  
  
"I said I thought we needed a time out from our relationship you idiot!" Hilde screeched losing her previous cool.  
  
"Well, you should've been more specific," he defended himself in a more tranquil tone. He knew she was losing her edge.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry," Hilde seethed, "I didn't realize I was being so insensitive to your stupidity!"  
  
"Come on now Hilde, don't talk like that to me, we might have to reconsider our relationship," he taunted lightly.  
  
Hilde blew up at that point. "What relationship you moron?!?! I can't take this anymore!! We're OVER!"  
  
His words from her nightmare once again surfaced and she thought them over with alarm. *Could he really hold this much power over me?* she wondered. Fear clutched at her heart as she thought, *Maybe I was wrong to dump him, maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me that I've been with him for so long, anyone else wouldn't feel right.* She balled her fists tightly and slammed them on the floor. *_Damn_ you Jeff, you cause me nothing but pain and heartache.*  
  
Pushing the thoughts from her mind she tried once again to sit up and found the throbbing in her head tolerable to the point where she could shuffle into the kitchen and swallow a few aspirin dry. She began to recede back to the couch (not quite sure if she could make it to the bedroom) when she heard the thump. It came from outside, on her balcony in fact.  
  
Freezing-all thoughts of sleep and headaches gone-Hilde edged to the table where her purse unceremoniously was dumped. Reaching carefully inside the leather bag, her eyes never leaving the double sliding doors, her hand closed around the narrow tube of pepper spray. The gun she possessed lay in the drawer of her nightstand in the bedroom. This would have to do.  
  
Cautiously she tiptoed to the door. No other sound had come since the last one, but Hilde wasn't willing to take any risks. She felt better because the lights were on, but at the same time she cursed the glare bouncing off the glass and making it harder for her to see out, but whoever (if anyone) was on the other side, they would have a good view of her. For this reason she moved to the right pressing her self against the wall and reaching to open the door from the side making sure to keep her hand concealed behind the latch. With a snap and a swoosh the door slid open and Hilde spun around the corner finger ready to spray a cloud of the bitter vapor into the eyes of her opponent.  
  
What she saw instead caught her quite off guard. Crumpled in a heap on the ground was the figure of a person. Blood trickled from cuts made on both his limbs and his trunk. He was curled in a fetal position with one of his arms bent at an odd angle. His blue jeans were cut in many places and blood stained large spots on them. His black T-shirt was also ripped, but the dark color made and blood unseeable. The feature that caught and held Hilde's attention though was the stranger's hair. It was a long chestnut braided mane somewhat tangled, but it made him look rather odd.  
  
Hilde didn't waste time dragging the unusual character from the balcony to the living room where she managed to hoist him on a couch all the while questions danced about in her head. They would have to wait though, right now the man needed her attention.  
  
She pulled his feet so that they draped over the edge of the couch, and pulled his arms so they lay at his sides. She didn't know if this position was comfortable, or safe-medical matters were not her specialty, but it couldn't be hurting him, she figured. Luckily, the oddly bent arm didn't appear to be broken (she had no way of telling though if it were sprained or fractured). Rushing to the bathroom, she pulled out an entire bag of cotton swabs and the bottle of rubbing alcohol.  
  
*I hope I don't hurt the guy,* she thought dropping the items on the carpet next to the couch. *I really have no idea what the heck I'm doing.* Breaking open a hole in the plastic bag she pulled out a handful of the cotton balls, and uncapping the bottle, she poured the substance over the cotton cushion until it was sopping. Starting with his face, she carefully wiped away the smears of blood circling the contours of his mouth, and the dried gore on his cheeks. His eyes flickered slightly beneath their lids when her hands touched his chin as she tilted his face upwards.  
  
She had to remove his shirt to reach all of the scratches along his ribs and stomach taking a definite notice of his refined well-toned muscles. *Just checking,* she defended herself when her conscious tried to reprimand her roaming eyes. *And appreciating,* she added with a small smile rolling him on his side so that she could tend to his back.  
  
The only cuts on his legs were minor scratches around his ankles (she graciously noticed), but a nasty purple and green bruise was forming on his shin. She sucked her breath at the sight of it and ran to the kitchen retrieving a plastic sandwich bag full of ice and a few paper towels. Reaching his side again, she winced as the ice was lowered onto the nauseous looking wound.  
  
Immensely satisfied with her work, she sat back once again getting a good look at his profile. His cheeks (once uncovered beneath all the gore) were very smooth and they gave his face a rather babyish appearance. Hilde found it absolutely adorable. A slight murmur reverberated through his lips as he slept and brought Hilde back to reality.  
  
Walking back to the open door of the balcony, she saw an article of clothing previously overlooked. A dark blue-jean jacket sprawled on the ground. Bending to seize the sleeve of the jacket, she paused. A low grumbling raspy sound could be heard from below. Cautiously stepping to the rail bordering the edge of the balcony, she peered through the open spaces of wrought iron and observed two burly men wearing black suits searching the ground below with flashlights and obviously not using discretion by keeping their voices down. *I wonder who they are?* Hilde wondered, then added, *and what they want.* She shivered. Whoever they were, she didn't like their feel. They were dangerous, she knew.  
  
Stepping back quietly, she closed the door thankful it only produced a soft 'click' and dimmed the lights. She didn't want the men getting the idea that whatever they were looking for was in her home. *Which probably is the case,* Hilde thought glancing at the sleeping figure on the couch. All at once, the day's stresses mingled with her current headache exhausted Hilde. She shambled over to her loveseat and plopped down tilting her head back so that it rested on the comforting cushion.  
  
She realized that her hands were still clamped on the man's jacket, and she brought it closer for inspection. She reached into one of the two pockets with overlapping flaps in the front and pulled out a dark brown leather wallet. *Innocent looking enough,* she thought and smiled wryly in her guest's direction. *But, I _could_ say the same about you.* She unfolded the material and observed close to nothing. A few loose credits were folded in the longest part, but only two credit cards (both under the name of 'Duo Maxwell') and a small blurred picture decorated the inside folds. *That's odd,* Hilde detected. *No identification. Woah, this guy's got to be trouble.* Once again she looked untrustingly at the now-considered intruder.  
  
Curling up in the corner farthest from the couch, Hilde rested keeping her eyes open and watching just in case he should wake. Soon though, sleep overcame her weary body and she dozed comfortably if not peacefully while outside the silver moon ran her nightly race pausing for small intervals to play with the glistening stars.  
  
***  
  
Okay, that's it, chapter one (I guess you really could only count this as a prologue though). Remember, if you want me to put up the next chapter you have to write a review, and when I get ten of them, I will post my next chapter. Also, if you having the most burning desire to give me your idea for a direction for this story, e-mail me at: veledore@hotmail.com I'm not promising that I'll use it, but if it's really good maybe I'll find a way to work it into the story (of course you will get credit). Thanks for reading my work, hope you liked it!  
  
-Veledore 


	2. A New Routine

Abandoned Reverence  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Alright, alright, I know I said ten reviews, but a certain someone named Sandi reminded me that this is really an aggravating strategy. I really do like to see reviews though, so if you would please just let write one and let me know how this story is going, I would really appreciate it. So, even though I only got four reviews, here is the next chapter. Enjoy! ~_^  
  
-Veledore  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I realize that last chapter I forgot to insert the disclaimer, so hopefully this will be able to cover both of them. I do not own Gundam Wing or any of their characters, but Jeff and Mindy are my own, so don't copy them okay?  
  
  
  
* Indicates thought  
  
~ Indicates flashback  
  
  
  
Chapter One: A New Routine  
  
  
  
Spirals of gray and black tumbled around her mind. She could feel her physical body working-her heart's lethargic thrum, her slow thick pulse circulating the blood through her major arteries, she could even feel her eyes darting back and forth under their lids as they tried to catch sudden spurts of color. Her breathing was deep and did not come from her throat, but from the pit of her stomach. The exhalations produced a steady (if slow) rhythmic sound relaxing to her ears. Hilde never felt as much peace in her daily life as she did when she slept a dreamless slumber.  
  
"RRRIIOOOARRHHH!!!" All at once Hilde was jolted from her perfect world of serenity by a horrific noise. She sat up from her loveseat momentarily disoriented and so was confused when she saw that the source of the monstrous inflection of a snore came from a figure huddled against her couch. The recent night's events flooded her memory triggering both relief and apprehension. She sat tense in a stream of sunlight pouring through sheer curtains covering a large bay window.  
  
The man on her couch moved raising his arm and slumping it over his face. A few moments later-apparently uncomfortable with this position-he dropped his arm letting it hang over the side of the couch. His next action played out in slow motion and later Hilde would remember it in a fit of laughter. With a mighty sigh he pulled his weight over to the right, and fell face first onto the floor. Hilde crept toward the front of the loveseat while the man groaned and pushed himself upright. He sat up carefully using one hand to rub a sore spot on his chin, and the other to prop his self against the couch.  
  
He blinked and opened his eyes first looking around the room in confusion, then focusing on Hilde's face. She was caught off guard by their intensity. They were endless, a no-bottom pools of cobalt water. In a sleepy voice he asked, "Who are you, and where am I?" Even slurred with sleep, his tone held a confidence of one not to be trifled with.  
  
Hilde was more than just a little apprehensive. He didn't seem hostile, but looks could always be deceiving. The pepper spray lay too far off for her to try and grab at, so she decided to answer his question all the while wishing she had not been so foggy of a mind that she didn't call a doctor or the police. "I am Hilde Schbeiker, and _you_ are in _my_ home."  
  
Frowning he asked, "How'd I get here?" once again looking around the room.  
  
Hilde shrugged casually as if it were no big deal. "You fell onto my balcony from God only knows where."  
  
His eyes clouded and his frown turned sinister. He must've had an acute sense for moods, because he suddenly looked at Hilde in alarm and distress. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked maneuvering with one hand closer to the loveseat where she sat.  
  
"Of course not," she replied trying to be discreet as she scooted her self back to the other end of the seat.  
  
"Oh really? Then what's that for?" the man asked cocking his thumb toward the narrow tube of pepper spray behind him.  
  
"Give me a break! You could have been a frickin psychopathic serial killer for all I knew!" she answered shrilly feeling nervous that the stranger could read her thoughts so accurately. "Besides," she added straightening her posture in an attempt to gain control of the conversation. "I have a few a questions of my own, and considering that you are under _my_ roof I would think they would be more pressing."  
  
"Okay," he responded grinning slightly in mockery. "Shoot."  
  
"Well," she began not so sure of herself anymore. "How did you fall on my balcony? You had to have been on the roof to pull a stunt like that, so what were doing up there?"  
  
"I'm not going into details with that one, more for your sake than mine, believe me," he answered with his dark scowl. The subject closed itself with his sudden withdrawal and Hilde was slightly peeved at his stubbornness.  
  
*He's serious though,* Hilde thought. She was not usually a good judge of character, nor could she tell a person's mood by their actions, but there was something in his voice-a warning. For some reason unbeknownst to her, she knew that he wasn't lying. "Fine," she replied. "Can you at least tell me your name?" she asked more as a test remembering the name on the credit card the night before.  
  
Putting on a charming grin, he held out his hand and answered, "Duo Maxwell, at your service."  
  
She hesitated, but only barely reaching out and taking his hand with hers smiling right along with him. She surprised herself by being so genuinely open. *Yeah,* she thought bitterly, *You're usually so stuck on Jeff that you become shy around anyone else.* She pushed the harsh voice from her mind not wanting thoughts of _him_ to spoil something so promising. "Hello? Anyone home?" Duo asked disturbing her thoughts.  
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry," she answered lightly flushed.  
  
Duo gave her a critical look, he was about to say something, but changed his mind and asked instead "Got any food?"  
  
***  
  
Hilde never before met a man (no matter that the number of men she knew besides Jeff amounted to zero) who ate so much. Five eggs, ten strips of bacon, a stack of toast, and three glasses of orange juice were needed to sustain his hunger. Hilde herself only drank a cup of coffee creamed lightly so that the strong liquid could work it's magic in her system.  
  
Duo didn't question her choice of breakfast foods, he could hardly breath considering all the food being shoveled in his mouth. He did pause though long enough to inquire, "What?" when Hilde's eyes never left his plate. She was sure they must be twice their normal size if he had bothered saying anything.  
  
"Sorry," she responded stirring her drink with a spoon. "I can't believe you like my food, my old boyfriend would never let me cook for him. He said my food was worse than his mother's."  
  
Duo raised his eyebrows at the comment and between a bite of toast and a swallow of juice managed to ask, "Is there a current boyfriend?" looking down the darkened hallway curiously.  
  
"No," Hilde replied discouraged. "Jeff was the only one. We go way back, he was my best friend during our childhood and my high school sweetheart."  
  
"You sound like you're still head over heels," Duo commented lightly. "Why'd he dump you?"  
  
Hilde tensed at the question. "_He_ did not dump _me_, I dumped _him_."  
  
"If you're still in love with the guy, why'd you dump him?" Duo innocuously asked.  
  
"Because he's a two-timing lying sleazy jerk!" Hilde retorted shortly. "And I am _not_ still in love with him."  
  
Duo chuckled, "Could've fooled me."  
  
Hilde contained her building rage taking a long deliberate drink of her coffee. When her anger subsided she changed the subject. "So," she started, "Do you have any place to go?"  
  
He took his time chewing slowly on a piece of bacon before providing an answer. "Nope," he said leaning against the back of the chair, one hand tucked idly behind his head. "Trying to get rid of me?" he asked cheerfully taking an obnoxious slurp of his juice.  
  
"No," Hilde replied quickly. "I just have to get to work soon and I didn't know if I should be expecting you when I got back or not."  
  
"I'll be here," he responded easily. "If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I'm a natural born free-loader."  
  
Hilde giggled and went back into her room to change; all cautions and anxieties from the night before thrown into the wind. It felt so good to her-this new freedom. For once in her life she could be bold and not think about Jeff's opinion of her actions. The sun outside radiated a promising brilliance insuring an equally bright day.  
  
***  
  
Hilde stepped out of her not-so-flashy dark blue Ford Escort. Her shoes clicked delicately on the gravel sidewalk intersecting and going past an ordinary looking building-not very different from any other one on the street. Fishing through her purse she found her ring of keys and easily located the one that unlocked the front door. It was gold in color just as Jeff's vow that their newspaper was going to be big as it had been. She effortlessly slid the key into the lock and flicked her wrist in a quick jerk to the right then pushed open the door getting her morning's whiff of print and paper.  
  
She walked past the silent entrance and climbed the stairs immediately turning left and entering her office. There was certainly nothing extraordinary about her dingy room complete with a small desk and two uncomfortable chairs. Papers lined the desk and collected in the corners of the room making simply walking to the table an obstacle. As soon as her purse left her hand, a buzz resonated from somewhere underneath a mountain of papers. Frantically tossing the documents about she finally located the speaker and pushed the button. "Yes?" she asked breathlessly.  
  
"Mr. Sutton wants to see you," the raspy voice of Jeff's secretary sounded through the old speaker.  
  
Sighing in exasperation Hilde responded, "Alright, thank you." and turned back to the door making her way back to outside hallway (just a little to quickly for her taste) *Come on Hilde,* she mentally chided herself. *Get a hold of yourself, you are through with him remember?*  
  
She slowed her pace walking further down the hallway and passing the elderly woman behind a desk before throwing open Jeff's door and sauntering nonchalantly in.  
  
Jeff was seated behind his desk acting as if he were busy by typing furiously on his keyboard. She closed the door behind her softly and he looked up. "You wanted to see me Jeff?" she asked torpidly.  
  
"Hilde, baby. You know, I love seeing your face so early in the morning, it makes the day's brightness seem incomparable," he said standing up and stretching lucidly.  
  
"Oh please Jeff, cut the crap. We're over, remember?" Hilde responded rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "Now, what do you want?"  
  
"You know exactly want _I_ want," he replied strolling towards her.  
  
Her knees were getting weak-they always did whenever he looked at her like that. He had such a smooth easy demeanor, he never had a problem making her feel so unsure about her own self. How could she doubt him when he always seemed to be right? "Well, you're not getting it. We're done. Get it through your thick head," she replied turning from him as he came before her.  
  
She felt his arms snake around her waist and her body went rigid when he whispered in her ear. "How can you deny a passion like ours?" he asked softly. A warning went off in Hilde's head-Jeff's specialty was with words. Once he got going she became entranced, as caught as a mouse to a piper's tune. "I thought about you last night," he continued feeling her defense weakening. "I had to go outside for a breath of fresh air, and there was the moon. It was so silvery brilliant I couldn't help but compare it to your smile. I remembered how your smile could always banish any darkness in my day." Hilde started shivering, her knees were shaking, her resistance breaking with each word. "And then I saw those stars glittering like little gems, how could I resist thinking about your eyes? Did you know that your eyes have this fire that flames with your dispositions? I think those stars reminded me of when you were in a playful mood. I can remember the very first time I even took heed to the heavens was on top of the Ferris wheel. Remember? Remember what I said?" He paused listened to her breath coming in pants as she struggled to regain her earlier control.  
  
"Jeff, stop. Please," she mumbled.  
  
"I said, 'Hilde! Look! Even the stars seem to be happy that we're together!,'" he replied ignoring her plea. "And then you said, 'Yeah, it looks like they're dancing! They're so happy for us!' We were so young Hilde. And we were so in love. Where did all that love go Hilde? It didn't just disappear. I still feel it. I know you do too." He traced his finger up and down her arm causing goosebumps to arise on the exposed epidermis.  
  
"Jeff," her voice sounded weak in her ears and doubt flooded her mind.  
  
At that moment the door swung open and a perky-in-all-places Ms. Mindy bounded into the room. Hilde felt cold and empty as Jeff's arms snapped back from around her waist. He drifted back over to her desk and picked up a file folder. "Here Hilde," he said casually as if nothing had happened. That was another of Jeff's many cunning attributes-his acting abilities. It was probably why Hilde had never suspected him of cheating before. She grabbed the folder from his hand quickly and turned practically fleeing out the door.  
  
"Are you alright Ms. Schbeiker?" the secretary asked her as tears covered her eyes in a thick glassy coat.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine," she replied in an unsteady voice. She quickly walked down the hall to her office where she closed the door and sank into the rickety uncomfortable chair and sobbed not caring if the ragged cries echoed into the hall. The staff already knew her current predicament. A while later Hilde managed to get a hold of her emotions long enough to take a peek at the assignment Jeff had given her.  
  
*Great, another interview with a convict,* Hilde thought as the time, date, and name of a locally famous serial killer (Heero Yuy) was printed in a neat row on the top of the page. Tips and facts covered the rest, but Hilde didn't pay attention to them. They weren't usually helpful anyway. On the back of the paper was another time and date, this time with youngest House Representative Ms. Relena Peacecraft. Obviously the story wanted to cover both sides of the opinion. *Well,* Hilde thought, *It'll be interesting to meet with Ms. Peacecraft at least. She did cause quite a controversy persuading the House to approve a bill allowing younger people to run for a spot in the House,* Hilde thought raising her down mood slightly.  
  
The phone rang from beneath another pile of papers then and Hilde had to once again rummage through the notes to find it. "Hello?" she answered.  
  
"Hilde?" a distinctly familiar voice said on the other line.  
  
"Duo? Is that you?" Hilde responded incredulously. "How…what…"  
  
"I saw this number on the fridge and thought I should check it out, you know, to see if it was your work number."  
  
"But, I don't have my work number on my fridge," Hilde informed Duo with a frail frown.  
  
"I know, I think I called your boyfriend-Jeb or something. Some guy answered the phone," Duo explained.  
  
"What did he say?" Hilde asked ignoring the mispronunciation of Jeff's name and the false title of her boyfriend.  
  
"I asked him if you were around and he asked me who I was," Duo responded.  
  
"Well," Hilde asked when Duo didn't continue. "What did you say?"  
  
"Who me? I told him it was none of his business, then I heard some old lady come on the line and say that she would put you through," Duo clarified.  
  
"Oh." Hilde wasn't sure what to say next.  
  
"Should I call this number again if I need to call you?" Duo asked patiently.  
  
"No, no," Hilde replied quickly and gave him her own number.  
  
He thanked her indifferently and suggested that she lighten up-her depression was so heavy it was choking him, and he was only contacting her through the phone. She hung up in a panic *Am I so transparent that every man on the planet can see through me?* she thought desperately.  
  
The office suddenly felt too stuffy and Hilde decided that a lunch break would do her some good. Outside a chilly breeze coming off the ocean greeted her cheeks and stung her eyes. She took a breath of salty sea air and made her way down the street toward a small café.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: So, are you a little curious now? Isn't Duo acting mysterious? And what's Hilde's deal with her old boyfriend? If you want to know what happens, all you have to do is write a review. When I see ten of them, I'll post another chapter. Also, if you have the most brilliant idea for this story and you would like to tell me about it, contact me at: veledore@hotmail.com. I'm not promising that I'll use it because the story is already laid out (in my head), but if your idea is _really_ good, then I'll slip it in there and of course, you'll get credit for it. Tschüs!!  
  
-Veledore 


	3. An Unexpected Twist

Abandoned Reverence  
  
Author's Note: Wow you guys! I was soooooooo thrilled when I saw all of the reviews I received (and overnight at that). Really, I believe I got eight more in all! I was so surprised (and happy) that this sudden burst of inspiration overcame me and so, here I am, once again typing away at this continuously developing story. Thank you so very much (especially those of you who threatened writing _two_ reviews-you know who you are). And now, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! ~_^  
  
-Veledore  
  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are not mine to call my own, but Jeff and Mindy are, so please don't copy them okay? (By the way, I know some author's like to cross their stories with other author's, so if you're interested in doing something like this with my storylines or my characters, please e-mail me at: [1]veledore@hotmail.com. Maybe we can work something out.)  
  
* Indicates thought  
  
~ Indicates flashback  
  
And now, without further ado, here is chapter 3.  
  
Chapter 3: An Unexpected Twist  
  
The smells of the café filled the surrounding atmosphere before Hilde made two of the four-block-walk. It mainly consisted of the strong astringent morning coffee, but whiffs of baking bread mingled with cinnamon strands wove throughout the fragrant mixture as well. The small café was certainly nothing special (you could even say that it was below quaint), but the air of coziness drew customers from all corners of the city. Apparently, Hilde was one of those drawn to the establishment because she breezed past the entrance with both security and confidence of one whom is familiar with the surrounding environment.  
  
Today, two women were busily at work behind the counter rushing back and forth as a gerbil exercising in a small plastic cage. Hilde faintly knew one of the ladies and beamed at her when she plopped down in a stool behind the counter. Great throngs of people milled throughout the booths and filled the small tables. A low murmur underlined the subtle music drifting serenely from somewhere above Hilde.  
  
"What'll it be?" the slightly familiar face asked Hilde after she had settled herself.  
  
"I'll just have some coffee thanks," Hilde replied.  
  
"And you miss?" the lady asked the woman to Hilde's right.  
  
She was a most peculiar sight to Hilde. Stacks of folders and mountains of papers surrounded the lady's counter space. Her head was currently bent into the pile concealing her face as she examined a document of some kind. Upon hearing the voice of the waitress, the woman looked up startled and her eyes scanned the menu quickly before she answered, "Um, just a cup of coffee as well."  
  
Shock coursed through Hilde's veins. "Ms. Peacecraft? Ms. Relena Peacecraft?" she asked comparing the stranger's aquamarine eyes to the ones portrayed in all the newspapers.  
  
Once again that surprised look overcame the lady's face and she bowed her head slightly letting out and exasperated sigh. "Yes, that's me," she answered in a tired voice.  
  
Hilde extended her hand. "Well, I did have an interview set up with you later, but now's as good a time as ever," she started.  
  
"Actually, now isn't really all that good," Relena answered in a slightly annoyed tone and motioned to the great stacks of paper. "And I didn't quite catch your name..."  
  
"Oh wow, I'm sorry. I can be so rude sometimes," Hilde began mentally kicking her self. "My name's Hilde. Hilde Schbeiker."  
  
"Don't worry about it. Schbeiker did you say? That's an interesting name," Relena replied fluently extinguishing the earlier embarrassment.  
  
"It's German," Hilde answered glad to have been forgiven for being so blunt before. Sometimes she found the attribute becoming second nature and blamed the problem on her career of journalism.  
  
"Yes, it does have a Germanic ring to it. Were your ancestors immigrants?" Relena asked with polite interest.  
  
"I'm pretty sure it was my great-great-great-grandfather's family that came over here first," Hilde responded. "If you don't mind my asking, do you always work in such...cramped confinements?"  
  
Relena smiled making her overly aged face beam beautifully. "Believe it or not, I am always more relaxed whenever I work in the company of people. My own stuffy office is just too quiet for my liking. I really can't stand it."  
  
Hilde smiled back at Relena before saying, "Well, I don't want to bother you..."  
  
"Oh, don't worry about it," Relena answered taking the steaming mug from the waitress bringing her drink. "I was done anyway."  
  
Hilde took her own and thanked the waitress. "I find that hard to believe," Hilde replied eyeing the colossal pile of paperwork.  
  
"Actually I've overdone it a little," Relena told Hilde chuckling a little. "I admit, I'm a workaholic. I'm trying to cut back-my doctor says I'm doing my body no good."  
  
Hilde laughed a little herself replying, "I wish I had your stamina. I would certainly be doing bigger things than just working for my crummy little newspaper."  
  
Relena's brow raised in curiosity. "What newspaper?" she asked.  
  
"It's really only a small thing, it's called the `West Jost'." Hilde answered indifferently.  
  
"The `West Jost'?" Relena asked flabbergasted once again. Reaching into a brown leather shoulder bag propped against the inside wall of the counter near her feet, she pulled out the week's issue. "I have a copy delivered to my office every week."  
  
It was Hilde's turn to be astonished. "Really?" she squeaked not able to think of anything else to say.  
  
"Yes, really. I was drawn to the pictures first-they are so...I don't know, artistic. Then I began reading the articles and I was hooked," Relena started. "What is it?" she asked looking at Hilde's large-as-saucers eyes.  
  
"_I_ take all of the pictures," Hilde began looking out of a far window into the street were cars and people milled. "No one has ever said anything about my photography skills, I always thought they were mediocre."  
  
"You took those?" Relena asked.  
  
"You don't sound very surprised," Hilde responded.  
  
"I'm not, to be quite frank," Relena responded. "You have this artistic aura," she explained making a grand gesture with her hands.  
  
Hilde smiled in reply, and then glancing at the clock above the kitchen, she realized that her break was long over expired. "Wow, I really have to go," she stated and rose from her seat. "It was nice meeting you Ms. Peacecraft. I look forward to meeting you again at our interview."  
  
"Just Relena okay? And here," Relena said pulling out a loose sheaf of paper. Tearing a corner she scrawled down a number. "My cell phone," she explained handing the paper to Hilde. "I don't ever usually do this, but I don't usually ever meet anyone anymore that I enjoy speaking to. Please, call me and we can have coffee again sometime."  
  
"Are you sure that I won't be getting in the way?" Hilde asked unsure. Relena was, after all, a big political figure.  
  
"Positive," Relena replied.  
  
"Okay then, I'll talk to you later!" Hilde called as she walked out the door.  
  
***  
  
The remainder of the day went by smoothly. Hilde stayed out of Jeff's way opting to hide out in the copy room where she _finally_ went through the stack of papers in her office and pulled out the ones that needed to be shredded. It was a long, tedious process that took up the rest of the day, but by the time Hilde locked up the building for the day, her room was tidy and about twelve bags full of paper scraps stood in a recycling dumpster in an alley down the street. Hilde hopped into her car and drove home.  
  
When she got there, the room was silent-empty. She quickly located the pad of paper where messages were written, and found an explanation...or at least half of one.  
  
Hilde,  
  
I've gone out for a while. Be back later.  
  
Duo  
  
Hilde frowned as she read the note. *What could he be doing?* then she scolded herself, *He could be doing _anything_ Hilde! He's a full grown man; he can take care of himself.*  
  
She went into the kitchen and filled a pot with water to boil for tea. It was going to be a long night-she had much work to catch up on. She sat down at an old rundown computer situated next to her table in the dining space and flicked the switch in top of the modem turning it on. Right at that moment a knock pounded on her door.  
  
Getting up, she warily made her way to the door wishing to high heaven that she had a peephole. Keeping the chain lock fastened, she unlocked the doorknob and opened the door.  
  
A _very_ large man with black hair stood just beyond the entrance. Muscles rippled heavily across his arms, torso, neck, and legs. He wore black slacks and a white button down shirt-Hilde thought he looked prepared for an interview. Black shades covered his eyes and made Hilde especially uneasy. "Can I help you?" Hilde asked through the cracked doorway.  
  
"Yeah, perhaps you can," he replied in a low gravelly. Hilde heart leapt in her throat-it was the man scouring the ground the other night! "I'm looking for an escaped convict. He comes to my shoulder, he's very skinny and has long brown hair he likes to keep in a braid."  
  
As he spoke Hilde's eyes grew wider, but not because of the accusations from the man. A cheerful looking Duo was currently strolling down the hallway. "A...a convict?" Hilde stammered trying to keep the man from looking in Duo's direction. "I...heard something last night. It was a loud thump. I went outside to look and see what was going on, but I didn't see anything. Just the night sky."  
  
The man said nothing as he gave her a critical look. She couldn't tell from his expression whether he bought her story or not because the sunglasses covered his eyes. "Your sure that was all you heard? A _thump_?" he asked.  
  
"Y-yes." Hilde replied. She didn't dare look away from the face for fear that he would look back and see Duo. Out of the corner of her eye though, she saw Duo freeze, then quickly jump into the shadows of the wall.  
  
"Do you know where the sound came from?" the man asked.  
  
"I think it came from somewhere on the ground, to the left," Hilde responded motioning with her left hand.  
  
"Thanks miss, if you do happen to see him, stay inside and lock the doors. Here's my card. Give me a call and I'll be here quicker than anything," he told her handing a small white card with a number in black print.  
  
"Okay," Hilde replied taking the card from his hand. He nodded curtly and started off down the hall. Hilde watched in gut-wrenching apprehension as the stranger passed Duo's hiding place and continued down the corridor turning right and going toward the elevator. She let out a shaky breath and pushed the door closed fumbling as she tried to unlock the chain bolt.  
  
When it finally came undone, Hilde threw back open the door and motioned to Duo letting him know that all was safe. He quickly scampered down the remaining length bolting through her door. She closed it and reinitiated the locks wishing briefly that she also had a bolt.  
  
Finished with the task she turned and found Duo rummaging through a bag in his hand. "Duo," she started, "I don't know what's going on, but I think I deserve at least a very small hint."  
  
He didn't answer as he walked to where she was standing and plucked the card from her hand. "Hey!" she said in response to the offensive gesture.  
  
"It's bugged," Duo replied gravely. Turning, he walked to the balcony, opened the door and threw it out into the wind.  
  
"It is?" Hilde asked meekly. "Duo, he told me you were a...a convict. Is that true?"  
  
"Maybe to him I am," he answered and Hilde instantly felt uneasy. He turned and faced her. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you."  
  
Hilde still felt suspicious. "Are you going to leave?" she asked.  
  
"Are you going to interview this guy?" Duo asked instead holding up Heero Yuy's file. She had brought it home in hopes of getting a good start on the story.  
  
"Yeah, why?" she answered.  
  
"Because I need to go with you," he responded almost pleadingly.  
  
"Why?" Hilde asked. "Wait, never mind. You can't tell me, right?"  
  
"Yeah," Duo replied.  
  
"I'm not going until next week," Hilde warned him.  
  
He thought it over. "That should be enough time," he finally answered.  
  
"Will you ever tell me what's going on?" Hilde asked him suddenly very exhausted.  
  
"Maybe someday," was his elusive reply.  
  
A sharp whistle came from the kitchen causing Hilde to jump. She made her way back into the kitchen while Duo settled his self happily on the couch.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: So? How do you like it so far? I must say, it is going a whole lot better than I had expected. The pieces are really falling together. Please, please, please write me a review and let me know how I'm doing. They really help me move the story along. Another thing is that for the next five days I'm going to be gone, so nothing is going to be posted until after that. Thanks again! Tschüs!  
  
-Veledore  
  
References  
  
1. mailto:veledore@hotmail.com 


	4. No Regrets

Abandoned Reverence  
  
Author's Note: I just had the most awesome time! Last weekend I went to this Christian winter camp up in the mountains where I got to see snow for the first time this year! I tell you it's never really Christmas for me until I've seen snow, so, MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL YOU GUYS!!! They have this really scary thing up there called `the Plank,' it's basically a plank built on top of a four story rock and you jump free-fall style from the top of it (don't worry, you're harnessed in). The scary thing about this is that _you_ know you're strapped in, but your body doesn't know and it sort of freezes on the spot when you walk to the very edge of this thing and look down-a long way down. I went off it backwards (hey, at least I wasn't looking at the ground). Before I go into the actual jump, I want to first of all tell you why I am so deathly afraid of heights. Do you ever have dreams that happen maybe once a month but is scary enough to leave you hanging until the dream comes again?  
(If you haven't, don't worry; sometimes I think my imagination gets just a little carried away.) Well, that dream goes like this: at first all is very calm and I am at peace. Many times I will be younger and playing with a few other kids. We are climbing up this small hill, laughing and playing, when suddenly the hill isn't so little anymore. I will be halfway to the top when the hill becomes a cliff-one with a sheer drop. My legs are so little that I can't get a good hold and slip right off that cliff down into oblivion. That brings us to the present where this dream keeps on flashing through my mind. The lady at the top is holding onto my harness telling me to lean back over the edge. She counts to three. One-the mountains stretch below me in my dream; sharp rocks congregate near the bottom. Two-my foot slips and my small hand can't quite make that grasp onto the handhold. Three-I close my eyes as she lets go. That one instant was a pure rush of adrenaline mixed with fear  
and freedom; there's no other way of describing it. It was kind of like completing my dream.  
  
-Veledore  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its wonderful characters, but Jeff and Mindy are mine, so please don't copy them.  
  
* Indicates thought  
  
~ Indicates flashback  
  
Chapter 3: No Regrets  
  
***  
  
Hilde could feel the pain traveling at an agonizingly lethargic pace. It started first at the base of her skull where the spine connected, wrapped around the curves of her head, and was presently itching behind her eyes. She took no notice to this distraction as her fingers flew in a fury across the keyboard. Already her stiff cramped joints were rebelling causing her to miss the letter `l' and hit `p' instead. In aggravation, she pounded the backspace button, which moved way too slow. *Darn, lost my train of thought,* Hilde thought when the mistake was erased. Her body took advantage of her hesitation sending signals to her muscles making them flex. She sat up straighter and extended arms for a quick stretch. Suddenly, the screen went black and a small beep was heard. Sparks fizzed from the modem as Hilde spewed a line of curses and pounded on the screen of the monitor.  
  
"I'm no computer expert, but I don't think you're helping," remarked a chuckling Duo standing in the door of the kitchen.  
  
"I can't believe it! No, wait, yes I can. This is just my luck," Hilde cried in dismay.  
  
"Hold on now, this can't be the end of the world," Duo replied.  
  
"It could be for me," Hilde responded remorsefully. "It's too late to take this piece of crap into the shop tonight. And besides, repairing it would takes days and my report is due tomorrow."  
  
Duo carefully stepped around stacks of paper (later Hilde would compare herself to Relena) and reached her side stooped to be level with the computer. He leaned it onto its side and stood back up walking into the kitchen. He came back out with a screwdriver and kneeled once more to take out the rusted screws holding the junk together. As he pulled off the metal sheet covering, a puff of smoke arose. Hilde coughed as the sharp scent of fried wires wafted into her nostrils.  
  
"Well, here's your problem," Duo spoke through the thick cloud of smog.  
  
Hilde waved the smoke from her eyes and peered through the haze only to let out a shriek and jump a few feet back. A whole nest of insects scurried confusedly around the maze of wires and green chips. "What's the matter?" Duo teased and scooped one in his hand. "Aren't they cute?" he asked in a lilting voice.  
  
Hilde felt like she was going to puke. "Get. That. Thing. Away. From. Me." she said in a low dangerous voice.  
  
Duo merely shrugged and grabbed a trashcan next to his feet. Hilde was careful to stand a good five feet away as he scooped the vermin out with his hands and dumped them in the trash. "Aren't you afraid they're going to bite you?" Hilde asked with reluctance crossing her arms before her.  
  
"Nah," Duo replied with a grin. He requested that she bring him a few paper towels and some electric tape. She nodded and hurried thankful to be out of the same room as the parasites.  
  
When she returned, Duo had finished his task and was tying up the trash bag holding the bugs. "You may want to toss this," Duo said handing her the bag. "They just might eat through the plastic."  
  
"Ha ha," Hilde replied sarcastically. "Very funny." She took the bag anyway and proceeded out the door down the hall and into the alley behind the building where a dumpster stood behind two brick walls.  
  
She took her time walking back through the front entrance of the complex and decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator; they were closer. As she made her way up the last flight, a faint noise reached her ears. Turning down the hallway that led to her room, the noises became shouts. Two male shouts. Hilde quickened her paced suddenly fearful for Duo's safety. What she found instead caused her even more surprise, alarm, and dread.  
  
Jeff whirled around at the sound of her footsteps and waited until she stood before him. "Hilde," he seethed, his browned-to-perfection skin flushed red and his hazel eyes flashing dangerously, "Who the _hell_ is this guy?"  
  
Hilde looked down at the ground not wanting to meet his gaze. "H-he's just a friend, Jeff," she mumbled feeling guilt gush forth from her heart. She tried plugging the emotion-it certainly was no concern of his. She was, after all, a grown woman. But, years upon years of steady constant love for Jeff made her feel as though she were committing a sin. *Stop it, Hilde,* he mind reproached. *You make it sound as though you were married to the guy.*  
  
"Yeah, _right_. Just a friend," Jeff replied, disbelief dripping heavily from his voice. "Geez Hilde, I had no idea you were so desperate," he retorted lowly. "Come on! This is downright _slutty_."  
  
Hilde went rigid. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes and anger mingled with rage consumed her body. Half of her mind wanted raise her hand and slap him as hard as her physical body would allow. The other sick, twisted part wanted to throw her self at his feet and apologize saying that he was right and that she'd been wrong to dump him.  
  
SMACKKK. Before she could even think on how to respond to his words Duo had punched Jeff squarely in the jaw. His cobalt eyes had turned hard and piercing. Jeff recoiled from the impact bringing up his hands to cover the already purple swell. His breathing was hard and labored. Incredulity radiated from his features, he was too dazed to even react. Finally he managed to growl, "I'm going to sue your ass for that." Turning back to Hilde he said, "Don't come crawling into my office tomorrow morning looking for a screw. I won't be there. Mindy and I are taking a little trip to meet with Mr. Haverd."  
  
The raging part of Hilde gained a bit more confidence and she whispered, "Get out of here you jerk before I call the police and report you for trespassing."  
  
That was the final straw. Jeff whirled around and stalked off down the hall. Hilde watched his retreating back as she tried to compose herself. "Man, what an asshole," Duo commented into the thick atmosphere.  
  
"Yeah well," Hilde answered quietly.  
  
"Was that your boyfriend?" Duo asked.  
  
"_Was_," Hilde replied turning towards Duo.  
  
"Hey," Duo said lifting her chin up and forcing her to meet his eyes. "You okay?"  
  
"Yes...No," she responded in a choked voice pulling her face out of his grasp and craning her neck downwards into her open hands. The tears surged then and she couldn't stop them. Her whole life was suddenly turned upside down and she was helpless to either stop it or keep her balance. A comforting pair of arms encircled her shoulders and she leaned on the support as Duo led her back inside the doorway closing it behind them.  
  
She blindly followed as Duo directed her towards her couch and helped her sit. Buckets seemed to pour from her eyes; six years' worth of pent up emotions released them in this weak form. Hilde was ashamed, but she could not stop. Duo allowed her to continue-his arms never left her shoulders. He didn't seem to mind that she was making a giant wet and snotty spot on his shirt. After a while her sobs reduced themselves to sniffles, but she didn't feel ready to leave his support, and he didn't seem to care if her cries took forever to come out. He ran his hand soothingly up and down her shoulder.  
  
Soon though, she was under enough control that she was able to force her self to sit up. She drew her knees up to her chin crooking one arm around them and using her other arm to brush a few last escaping tears from her cheeks.  
  
"You okay?" Duo asked again with concern.  
  
"For now," Hilde replied smiling sadly.  
  
"If you don't mind my asking..." Duo started and trailed off not wanting to open an old wound.  
  
"How did someone like me end up with such a idiot? Why did I ever allow such an unhealthy relationship continue?" Hilde finished for him. "I ask myself the same questions every day."  
  
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Duo told her.  
  
She shook her head and replied, "I want to. I need to. You've got to understand, he wasn't always like this. We were both poor as kids. Money and power just got to him."  
  
"That's hard to imagine," Duo responded bitterly.  
  
"It's true," Hilde insisted. "I remember one year, when we were both in the second grade class together, our teacher made us hand-make our Valentine cards because many of us couldn't afford going out and buying them. Jeff, as stubborn then as he is now, made only one and then told the teacher when she asked him to make one for all of his classmates that he only liked one of us and that the rest could kiss his ass (he had a dirty mouth then too)." She paused and genuinely smiled. "The next day I was the only one that got a Valentine from him. All of the other boys gave him a hard time about it, but he didn't care."  
  
"Wow," was Duo's only reply.  
  
"Yeah, big difference huh?" Hilde said. She sighed and leaned back savoring the cherished memory. "He was just as sweet in High School when he asked me to go steady."  
  
"When did he change?" Duo asked.  
  
"As soon as our paper began to become big," Hilde replied and then thought before reanswering, "Well, maybe a little before then. He was always adorable and the girls really started flocking to him our junior year. He's always cheated, I knew that in my heart, but I loved him too much to let him go."  
  
"Sounds like he's got you on a tight leash," Duo said quietly.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hilde asked harshly, her defense suddenly shooting skyward.  
  
"It means that you claim to be over him, but you make him out to be a saint when just a few minutes ago he called you some pretty brutal names," Duo explained. "I think you still love him," Duo added softly.  
  
"I...I...I don't think I do, but I don't _want_ to," Hilde rambled dazed. Her body shook in protest to the new emotional burden. She first looked at Duo imploringly, then determinedly and said, "I don't-I won't."  
  
Duo nodded knowing that pushing anymore was only going to damage Hilde. Instead he changed the subject. "I fixed your computer."  
  
She looked over to the brightly-lit screen. "Thanks," she murmured downheartedly.  
  
"Anytime," he responded standing up and stretching.  
  
"Duo," she began.  
  
"Yeah?" He looked down at her thoughtfully.  
  
"You know, I'm not in love with _him_. I'm in love with who he used to be."  
  
He smiled. "I know that," he responded walking toward the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Hilde asked.  
  
"Out," was his elusive reply.  
  
"Duo," she started once again stopping him in his tracks.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked over his shoulder.  
  
"Be careful," she wished sincerely.  
  
He chuckled before replying, "I will. Don't worry."  
  
Hilde nodded and waited until she heard the door snap close before standing and strolling towards her computer stand. She sat and looked at the screen indifferently. The black letters on the screen blurred together and Hilde decided that sleep was more desirable. The work could wait. After all, Jeff wasn't going to be at the office in the morning. Who was going to tell him if her article was a day late? It was one of the very few times in Hilde's life when she put her work aside and did the right thing. She went to bed.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: I really hope that this chapter shed some light on Jeff's nature, you must remember that Jeff is a human being who can easily be sucked into greed and jealously, but he isn't pure evil. No human is pure evil, (this doesn't include Osama Bin Laden), not in my eyes at least. But poor Hilde! She's totally caught in the backfire of Jeff's change and neither of them can help it! This sounds like a job for Duo! But, you'll have to wait until I write the next chapter to see how his role plays out! And, of course, writing lots of reviews always inspires me to keep at it. So keep `em coming! ~_^ Bis dann! Tschüs! (By the way, someone wanted to know how I put the umlaut on `tschüs'. First of all, I use Microsoft Word, and up at the top is the `insert' option. You click that and go to symbol. At the top of the box, there will be a scroll that says `font', and if you choose times new roman, and check out the symbols in the bottom, you should see on a row close to the  
bottom.) Auf Wiedersehen!  
  
-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com) 


	5. How the Tides Turn

Abandoned Reverence  
  
Author's Note: I just got my first semi-hate review! I was so excited (please don't think I'm weird, I just absolutely love getting reviews!) I guess this person saw the foreshadowing of a possible Relena and Heero pairing (have I honestly been so obvious?) But guess what I have to saw to this person? TOUGH NOOGIES! I am terribly sorry that you think Relena and Heero are totally wrong for each other, but I happen to think differently (see my other story titled `Rippled Reflection' for reference). Besides, my advice is not to worry about the supporting characters right now because currently this story is mainly being focused on Hilde, Duo, and Jeff. Maybe someday when this story is done I will write a spin-off dedicated to Relena and Heero (just to let you know, I wasn't going to heavily pair them up in this story). Anyway, thank you everybody for your reviews (even the one that was kind of a semi-hate one) I love ALL of them!  
  
-Veledore ([1]veledore@hotmail.com-email me with your thoughts)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters, but I did come up with Jeff and Mindy, so please do not copy them, okay?  
  
* Indicates thought  
  
~ Indicates flashback  
  
Chapter 4: How the Tides Turn  
  
***  
  
Hilde stepped lightly along the smooth pavement. Colorful posters tried to catch her attention as she passed the small shop's windows, but none really managed to hold her care for very long. There was an uncommonly large bustle of activity outside today; vendors would yell their sales pitches, and little girls holding flowers and beads would boldly approach passing-people in attempts to gain a few dollars. Hilde smiled as the smallest of them all (who as of yet still hadn't had much luck in selling anything) a curly-haired little blonde scurried toward her. She wordlessly held up a tiny purple weed obviously plucked from the crack of a sidewalk. Her large light blue eyes danced in merriment as Hilde extended her hand to receive the flower. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a dollar and handed it to the little girl who gave a cry of delight. She wrapped her small arms around one of Hilde's legs squeezing with all of her might and smiling innocently at Hilde showing a  
row of pearly baby teeth. Hilde reached down and patted the top of the girl's head before she release her clutch and scampered off.  
  
Beaming, Hilde watched the girl go. A light breeze brought the smell of the salty sea and Hilde inhaled deeply. The day just kept getting better. Because Jeff was gone, she had given herself the day off wanting a break from the stresses of work. Earlier that morning she had woken before the sun had a chance to expand above the horizon and had taken a morning jog along the shoreline. She had reached the rocky end of the beach and had caught her breath as the sun slipped quietly into the sky dazzling her with an array of golden colors. She had returned home in considerably good spirits (something that didn't go unnoticed by Duo) and hadn't even minded when he mentioned that they were running low on food. Instead, she merely laughed walking out the door and leaving behind a very confused Duo who could do nothing except simply contrast her recent mood to the one from the night before.  
  
She stretched her arms lazily and tucked them behind her head. Because of this comfortable position, she almost didn't notice the two men dressed in black with their backs to her. She managed to maneuver around them before colliding and couldn't help but snag a piece of their conversation. "...checked out the west end, nobody's seen him."  
  
The second voice caused Hilde to freeze. It was gravelly and menacing. "Well, he can't be that far. We'll keep checking out the south end, you take Jack and do a second sweep of the west. We'll keep in contact."  
  
Before she had the chance to turn and hide her face, the men had turned toward her. The larger one's brow raised in recognition and he strolled toward her in a casual manner. "Seen anything unusual lately?" he asked.  
  
"You mean have I found your escapee?" Hilde corrected him smoothly taking a brisk pace towards the grocery mart.  
  
"Have you seen him?" the man persisted matching her stride.  
  
"No," Hilde lied her heart beating a thousand beats per second.  
  
The man halted and grabbed Hilde's elbow roughly. "You sure?" he asked. His sunglasses covered what she was sure to be hard and cold eyes.  
  
"Of course I'm sure," Hilde replied snappily yanking her elbow from his loose grasp.  
  
He fixed her with a hard stare before asking, "You still have my card?"  
  
Hilde recalled Duo's prediction that the card had been bugged and knew that lying this time would only make him more suspicious. "It fell out of my purse somewhere," she told him. "I wasn't worried because I was sure the police would be just as fine to call."  
  
"Here," he said handing her another one. "I'd advise you to hold onto this one. If this guy were to get you, the police might not find you in time."  
  
She took it with reluctance, which the man mistook for fear. "Remember," he warned. "We're only a phone call away."  
  
She nodded and continued on her way. The palms of her hands were slick with sweat and she didn't have to turn to see that the man had disappeared into the crowd.  
  
***  
  
Hilde fumbled at the lock of her apartment-bags filled her other arm and leaned against the wall. The door swung open after much hand-wrist coordination on Hilde's part, and she thankfully set her bags inside the doorway. She was halfway bent over-retrieving more bags when a thump reverberated through the hallways. A high-pitched half squeal-half cry rang out into the open and Hilde quizzically raised her head to check it out. Something hit her from behind and before she could comprehend what was going on, her face met the floor.  
  
She groaned and pushed herself over. Something warm, fuzzy and wet scrambled across her fallen body and moistened her face. "Wha?" Hilde managed trying to sit up while something heavy tried to force her down.  
  
Above the commotion, Hilde could hear something else: the insane laughing of a male. Duo. She growled and righted herself pushing back the other creature and giving Duo a murderous glare. He stood hunched over in the doorway crippled because of his chortling.  
  
"What is this Duo?!" she shrieked taking a closer look at the beast trying desperately to get to her face. The thing had a wriggling golden body very round and rolly. Large ears flapped over its face and giant white splattered paws clumsily tripped over its overly large wagging tail.  
  
"What does it look like?" Duo smartly replied. "It's a dog."  
  
"What is it doing _here_?" Hilde asked motioning with her hand for emphasis and getting wet fingers as a result.  
  
Duo shrugged carelessly. "Followed me."  
  
Hilde was at a loss. "Well, it can't _stay_ here," she said.  
  
"Why not?" Duo asked.  
  
"Because! The apartment is too small, I don't have enough patience, they make messes, they cost money, and most importantly because I said so," Hilde replied.  
  
"Ahh, come on Hilde. What's the poor thing gonna do? Where's he gonna go?" Duo asked leaning over to pet the puppy.  
  
"He might have an owner," Hilde answered. "Or we could take him to a shelter."  
  
"There wasn't a collar, and if you take him to a pound they might put him down. Come on Hilde," he pleaded once more. The puppy was currently trying unsuccessfully to catch its tail. "How can you say no to a face like that?"  
  
Hilde almost smiled. The puppy had looked up when Duo spoke and cocked its head in an attentive gesture. Its yellow eyes danced in the dim hall light. She sighed. "Oh fine," she muttered lowering her head in resignation.  
  
"Yessss," Duo childishly cried pumping his fists in the air and then whistling for the puppy. It jumped happily into the air and followed Duo tripping more often than not over its big feet. Hilde rolled her eyes and stood up proceeding after them into the house.  
  
"Does it have a name?" she asked bringing the bags to the kitchen.  
  
"I was leaning towards Fred, but Bob was starting to sound good too," he responded helping her pile the bags on a counter.  
  
"You've got to be kidding," she said putting away the cold contents in the refrigerator.  
  
"What's wrong with Fred and Bob?" Duo asked putting away the canned food. *Someone certainly knows his way around the kitchen,* Hilde thought amusedly.  
  
"Would you like to be called `Fred', or `Bob'," she asked. "Never mind, don't answer that," she cut in as Duo opened his mouth. "What about something like Boots or Socks? Look, his feet are white, so it would suit him."  
  
"Are _you_ kidding?!" Duo asked in an astonished voice. "Those are things you call a cat! And a girl cat at that! The poor dog would be teased by all of his friends! What are you trying to do, rob him of his dignity?"  
  
Hilde sighed in exasperation. "Fine! Call it whatever you want! I don't care!"  
  
"Okay," Duo replied. "Welcome aboard Steve," he said facing the dog who was presently busy trying to scratch a ear with his stubby hind leg.  
  
"Steve? Never mind, forget I said anything," Hilde remarked, then changing the mood she said, "I met up with that guy again today."  
  
"What guy?" Duo asked from his position on the floor as he scratched Steve on the belly.  
  
"You know, the one that showed up at my door asking after you. He gave me another card," she responded softly.  
  
"Do you still have it?" he asked apprehension threaded in his tone and darkness clouded his face.  
  
Hilde chuckled. "Nope, passed it on to this rude lady who cut me in line. Slipped it into her purse while she complained to the cashier about the price of toilet paper."  
  
Duo smiled as well though his grin was slightly colder and more forced. "When are you scheduled for a meeting with that Yuy guy?" he asked.  
  
Hilde shuddered at his directness "I think the plan was to go this Friday," she informed him.  
  
He nodded grimly, "That's fine."  
  
"I'm meeting with Ms. Peacecraft tomorrow if you want to come then," she offered.  
  
Duo shook his head, "Nah, I don't exactly...agree with everything she thinks. Besides, I don't think she'd like me."  
  
"Ah, come on," Hilde implored wanting Relena to meet Duo for some inexplicable reason. "It won't be _that_ bad."  
  
Duo shrugged, "If you _want_ me to."  
  
"It has to be better than hanging out around here," she said.  
  
Steve, bored from the lack of attention, got to his feet and scrambled over to Duo whining impatiently. Duo patted his ears affectionately and announced his decision to take Steve for a walk on the beach inviting Hilde as well. She conceded and the trio made their way out into the rapidly ascending nightfall.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: I'm sorry it was so short, but I didn't have much time. I really wanted to show a turn in Duo and Hilde's friendship (I hope you caught that), but otherwise there wasn't much else. Sorry. Another thing-I'm changing my penname to `Abysst' so if you ever want to check up on this story, or see other things I've written, you'll have to type in that one-not Veledore. Thanks to everyone who have written a review for me (a special thanks to my friend Silver Star who has written four already) I continue writing for you guys. Tschüs!  
  
-Veledore (drop me a line at: [2]veledore@hotmail.com)  
  
References  
  
1. mailto:veledore@hotmail.com  
2. mailto:veledore@hotmail.com 


	6. Out of my Interview

Abandoned Reverence  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Here I am! Just like I promised! I know that this probably won't actually be posted until Monday, but I thought that I'd go ahead and start on it anyway. I have been so EXHAUSTED lately. I don't know if you read my 'bulletin board' (check my bio for reference) but my school has been performing the musical 'Oklahoma' and I'm in the orchestral pit (I play the oboe part with my flute). Anyway, we have been practicing every day for the last two weeks from either three to eight, or from six to ten. Plus having to cram in at least and hour or two of homework and still go to bed on time, well, I'm beat. So be thankful that I've even mustered the strength to write more. Let me know how you thought this chapter went in your reviews, okay? Thanks to all of you who already have written one. Auf Wiedersehen!  
  
-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com-hey, I like email, so please drop me a line!)  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing nor any of its characters, but Jeff and Mindy are my own originals, so please don't copy them.  
  
  
  
Chapter 5: Out of my Interview (sorry, still got the 'Oklahoma' stuff spinning around in my head)  
  
  
  
***  
  
Hilde rushed trying to fit the sleeve of her shirt over her head and pull on her shoes at the same time. She groggily looked over at the bedside digital clock and cursed at the flashing red number showing 9:53. *Great,* she thought righting her shirt and slipping it on correctly. *Seven minutes to gather my material, find a safe place for the dog, round up Duo, and get to the café.* After a nightly excursion by the side of the ocean with Duo and Steve, she had called Relena and agreed to meet her at the same place they had met. *Hope she doesn't mind my bringing someone along,* she thought grimacing at her failure to remember to mention Duo's presence. *Oh well,* she sighed stifling a yawn.  
  
"Oh crap," Duo's voice came from the living room.  
  
"Yeah, and you're going to be in even deeper crap if you don't hurry," Hilde called back hastily tying her shoes.  
  
"No, I mean Steve is taking a crap on the carpet," Duo replied.  
  
"Well clean it up!" she said in exasperation. "He is _your_ dog."  
  
"Ah, okay," Duo whined. She heard him rustle through the kitchen, shuffle back to the living room, and then go back into the kitchen again. "Alright, it's safe to come out now," Duo called as she grabbed her bag and trotted down the hall.  
  
She briefly looked Duo's profile over. Good, he didn't look as disheveled as he normally did-his clothes were unwrinkled and his hair had been combed. She smugly noticed that his earlier wounds had recovered nicely not leaving a trace of their marks on his face. His own blue eyes twinkled in their cobalt depths as he scrutinized her with the same appeal. "You look like you haven't had your morning coffee," he informed her.  
  
She said nothing in response, just rolled her eyes and stepped over to the table. "I guess the dog can stay here, but if he poops anywhere you're cleaning it up."  
  
"The dog's name is Steve Hilde, when are you going to call him that?" Duo asked ignoring Hilde's remark.  
  
"And if he tears up anything, you're paying for it," Hilde went on ignoring Duo in return.  
  
"Fine," Duo relented giving the puppy a final pat before standing and declaring, "So are we going, or are we going?"  
  
Hilde swept passed him, car keys in hand already feeling that it was a bad idea to take Duo, but saying nothing for fear the Duo would have some kind of a triumph. They left the building and proceeded to her car.  
  
***  
  
Hilde plopped down into the booth right after Duo. "It's so nice to meet you Mr. Maxwell," Relena said climbing into the opposite booth of the two already seated.  
  
"Yeah, same to you," Duo replied somewhat harshly.  
  
Relena, apparently used to this behavior, proceeded to another subject while Hilde fidgeted nervously in her seat. She didn't really consider herself a person with many friends and she would not tolerate it if Duo managed to change Relena's opinion about herself. "Where do you work if you don't mind my asking?" Relena asked him trying to nudge him into a conversation.  
  
"All over the place," Duo replied smirking.  
  
"Really?" Relena proceeded not at all phased by his attitude. "What is your occupation?"  
  
"That's none of your business," Duo retorted and Hilde elbowed him in the ribs underneath the table. Duo made an "Oouf," and mumbled, "I don't take to politicians too well ma'am, sorry if I seem rude."  
  
"Believe me, you're not the first person to tell me that," Relena returned in a dismissive manner.  
  
Duo shrugged and Hilde took the opportunity to jump into the conversation. "So, Miss Peacecraft, I'm sure you've heard of the recent arrest of the Mr. Yuy, the alleged serial killer?" Hilde asked in an authoritative voice.  
  
Relena wrinkled her nose as if mere words on the subject repulsed her to no end. "Yes, and I'm sure you'll want to hear my opinion on the matter," she responded.  
  
Hilde nodded, "If you don't mind," she said pulling a notepad and pen from her bag.  
  
Relena sighed in annoyance over the coming speech. "I'm relieved that our police forces have been able to apprehend him, and I'm especially happy that one more life could have possibly been saved because of his capture. It disgusts me that such a character trait could have even derived from a human being, but I'm thankful that the trait shall never see the death of another innocent again." She paused. "Is that enough?"  
  
Hilde smiled closing the pad and putting it away, "I know that this is getting a little personal, but are you going to follow his trial, and make sure that you get your justice? The police _have_ fingered him as the murderer of your uncle, aren't you going to push a little harder for revenge?"  
  
Relena looked shocked, "Of course not, I know that Mr. Yuy will get what he deserves in the future, but it's not _my_ place to judge where my family's justice will come from." She guiltily closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples as though the subject were giving her a headache. "But, to tell you the truth my family has been at my heels over the case lately and I'm starting to feel the heat. I don't know how far they will go, but I have a feeling that if I _don't_ do something in the near future, my family is going to get ugly."  
  
"So why not just do as they wish?" Hilde asked. "I mean, Yuy's killed so many other people, what's wrong with pushing to give him what he deserves?"  
  
Relena sent a nervous glance over to Duo who was engrossed in the dessert menu. A battle raged in her mind for a few brief seconds before she leaned over the table closer to Hilde who in turn craned her own neck forward. With haunted eyes Relena murmured, "Because my uncle wasn't someone you could call a 'good man'."  
  
Hilde frowned, "What do you mean?"  
  
Again Relena sent a glimpse over to Duo before finishing, "He used to abuse me as a child. My mother and father were always out travelling to some country or another and I would have to stay with him. He would lock me in my own closet at night and take me out at random periods to beat me while he was drunk. When I was five, he and his wife got into a big argument. I was hiding underneath my covers and I heard a gunshot. A few minutes later he came in to abuse me more and I saw her body lying in the hall. When my parents returned for me he told them that his wife had died in a tragic car accident. He didn't even seem sorry."  
  
Hilde felt at a loss. Never had she encountered such a situation with an aquatint and so could not know what words to say. Finally, she asked, "How could your uncle get away with beating you and murdering his own wife?"  
  
"My uncle, as with the rest of my family, was very wealthy. He used his inheritance to build an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere. The closest town was five miles, and he never let his wife go anywhere. I don't even think the town even knew she existed. The marks he left on my body were usually on my torso, and as I was a very independent child, I would always dress myself so my mother and father never caught sight of them. If ever I did get a mark on my arm or my leg, my uncle would tell them that I had cut myself playing outside because the surrounding terrain was very rough." Relena finished her explanation by saying, "So as you can clearly see, I am not after revenge myself. My family, however, feels that because of my political position, it is my duty to press for justice."  
  
Hilde nodded understandingly. She looked over at Duo who had not said anything during the entire conversation. She wondered if he thought Relena was lying. His facial expressions betrayed nothing, and Hilde turned her attention back to Relena. The two talked on a different subject for a few more minutes before a waitress approached them for their orders.  
  
The trio ate their meal, and Hilde thanked Relena profusely for both the food and the interview time. Relena laughed, "Really Hilde, it was nothing. I enjoy spending time with you; it's been a while since I've taken a break from the political world and really enjoyed someone else's company." Hilde thanked her again anyway and Relena reminded Hilde that she was only a phone call away from a chat.  
  
Hilde nodded and left the café, Duo trailing along behind her. He was very quiet (for a change) as they walked across the street to where Hilde's car was parked. As he climbed in and she turned the key in the ignition, she asked, "So, what'd you think?"  
  
He was silent for a few more moments before answering, "I think she isn't as bad as I expected."  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought too when I first met her," Hilde replied casually as she pulled out from her parallel parked position.  
  
"I also think that if she were to take a look at the bigger picture instead of focusing on what her family wants, she would understand the greater motives in our world."  
  
Hilde frowned over at him during a brief stop at a red light. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Duo shrugged precariously and didn't say anything else. "Are you telling me that you're siding with this Yuy character? A _murderer_?"  
  
"Depends on what you consider a murderer," was another elusive reply from Duo.  
  
"Okay, I give. I know you are way deep into this, but I can't figure out where you fit. I guess that I _won't_ know until you tell me, so I'm not even going to bother," Hilde said in annoyance.  
  
They passed many blocks without speaking before Duo suggested that the two stop and for a movie. Predictably an action flick was showing, but Hilde didn't mind for once. Duo's company seemed to counter balance her dislike of many things (gore included). So, she and Duo parked and walked to the theater entrance to pay for matinee tickets. Duo approached the window with an irritatingly cheerful blonde ticket-worker. He reached into his own wallet and pulled out a ten subtly telling Hilde that he would take care of the expenses. The bouncy blonde smiled brightly at the pair as Duo paid. "I hope you and your wife enjoy the show!" she bubbly called when Duo stuffed his change in his pocket and grabbed their tickets. He opened his mouth to correct the misjudged woman, but she had already turned her back on him helping out the man next in line.  
  
Hilde couldn't help giggling as Duo shrugged and offered her an arm guiding her to into the theater at a ridiculous gait. Two and a half hours later, they emerged a little stiff because the chair had been rather hard. Hilde clambered into her car, but Duo leaned down over her open window. "Hey, listen, I've got some things I need to do. I'll see you at the apartment later okay?"  
  
Hilde frowned. "Can't I take you? I'd feel a lot better than just leaving you here to go do God knows what."  
  
Duo shook his head in reply and Hilde sighed. "Well, I guess I'll see you then. I'll be heading over to my office for a few hours to catch up on some work, so you can get a hold of me there if you need to," she told him.  
  
He nodded started off down the street. Hilde briefly contemplated following him, but knew that she'd never get away with it. If there were one quality Duo didn't have, it was stupidity. She pulled out of the parking lot and drove to her work.  
  
***  
  
With an exalting final stroke of the key, Hilde leaned back to let her tense muscles relax. It had been two hours of continuos typing, but she finally managed to finish Relena's half of the article. Now, all she needed was Yuy's input to insert his part in as well. She stood and stretched concisely before doing a routine check of her email before shutting down the computer. She had one in-message and read it.  
  
Hilde,  
  
Interview scheduled for tomorrow, talked to Haverd's colleagues today, notes and a few pictures should be in my fax. Go ahead and get a head start on the article if you want.  
  
Jeff  
  
She rolled her eyes and shut off the computer. *So that's how it's going to be,* she thought. *You get to go and have all the fun, while I stay here and do the actual work.* She hurried down the hall and unlocked his door slipping inside. The room was dark and held a musty aroma, which made the flesh on her arms crawl. She quickly flipped on the lights and tiptoed over to the fax machine.  
  
Just as expected, several sheets of paper covered in writing and pictures neatly lay out in a stack waiting for her. She picked them up and loosely leafed through them noticing the posed, phony faces of several official looking men in suits. *I could do much better than this,* she thought egotistically recalling Relena's admittance that her pictures had drawn the representative to the paper.  
  
One picture at the end was a little fuzzy and Hilde held it up toward the light so she could have a better view of it. Her stomach in tightened in recoil when Jeff's body and Mindy's body jumped out of the picture. It was taken at an odd angle, which suggested that it hadn't actually been _taken_, probably an accidental shot. She didn't need to look very long to discern what the couple were doing-Mindy's shapely legs were wrapped around Jeff's torso, one of his hands had worked its way down her revealing blouse, the other had found its way up her short skirt. The two's faces were covered by Mindy's mane of perfectly styled blonde hair (which was at the moment a little disheveled). Anyone could've figured that the two were lip-locked in a flurry of passion.  
  
Had it intentionally been sent, or had it been a mishap? The second choice didn't make much sense, one _could_ accidentally take an unwanted picture, but one _could not_ accidentally select it from a stack of pictures and fax it right side up just by coincidence. *He's trying to get back at me,* she concluded.  
  
Anger burned at the base of her skull, held back rage released itself as she crumpled the paper into a ball. Tears collected at the corners of her eyes, but she fought them with all the strength in her body. She started shaking, but managed to keep her composure in check as she tossed her ball onto the floor and walked out of the office flicking off the lights as she passed.  
  
Instead if heading home as she had planned, Hilde's car ended up driving along an open freeway going through rolling green hills for an hour. Thoughts buzzed lazily around her head, and she had the strangest feeling that her body and her soul had dismerged from one another. Finding that her gas tank was near empty, yet not up for pulling over and pumping more, she turned around and headed home.  
  
The apartment felt terribly lonely as she opened the door and found it void of life. She tossed her keys across the table taking no heed to the clattering jangle as they skidded over the side onto the tiled floor. She shrugged off a jacket and draped it over the arm of her couch before reaching over to click on a lamp. A note in Duo's handwriting lay on the coffee table and Hilde examined it.  
  
Hilde,  
  
Took Steve out for a walk on the beach. Surprised you weren't here. Join us if you want.  
  
Duo  
  
She read it over a few more times mentally contrasting its content to Jeff's earlier message. Duo seemed so much more concerned about her-a quality lacking in Jeff's written voice. She carefully put the paper back on the table and wondered if she had enough energy left to walk along the shoreline. Deciding that the ocean breeze would do her more good than a stuffy apartment, Hilde pulled her coat back on and headed out the door.  
  
The scenery outside was as close to perfection as Hilde had ever seen in all her time living in the area. The gale was neither too harsh, nor too airy applying just enough pressure to sweep tendrils of her dark locks out of her eyes. Its smell was laced heavily with the salty water. Along the horizon, blue waves lapped at a smooth bronzed sandbar. A yellowed sun lit the sky in colors ranging from exotic pink to majestic violet. Rays from the dying light gently touched the tips of the sea sending golden sparkles of reflections back up to the emerging heavens.  
  
Five minutes into her walk, Hilde noticed two new sets of footprints. One dog, one man. Before long, a hyper yapping echoed over the roar of the sea to her ears. Coming around a bend Hilde paused one moment to admire the pup's adorable clumsiness as he tripped over his overgrown feet trying to chase a stick Duo had thrown for him.  
  
She approached the pair, and Duo soon enough noticed her aura. She gave him a half-hearted smile before turning to watch the dog again. Silence enveloped the two as Steve frantically followed the waves pulling his stick farther out into the water. He danced around the puddles avoiding them as though they were the plague and whining mournfully as the twig rode further out on the tide.  
  
Duo elbowed her. "Hey," he said, "You okay?"  
  
"Of course," she replied not meeting his gaze. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"You seem a little down, that's all," he replied.  
  
The quiet coursed the distance of a few moments before Duo asked, "So, where were you?"  
  
Hilde shrugged. "Around," she replied mimicking Duo's mysteriousness.  
  
Duo (taking the hint) didn't respond. "Say Duo," Hilde said out of the blue. "Something's been bothering me."  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Why are you still here? You're obviously _running_ from someone, and they are obviously hot on your trail. If I were in your predicament I'd feel a lot safer moving from place to place instead of holing up in one spot."  
  
"Where else can I get free food and good company?" he joked.  
  
She turned to face him tearing her nonexistent attention away from the puppy. "I'm serious Duo. You know I have problems with Jeff, if you're trying to take advantage of me…"  
  
"Whoa Hildey, hold your horses," Duo stopped her taking hold of her arm. "Whoever said anything about Jeff? That jerk is far away from here. You don't have anything to worry about with him. Besides, I was being serious, about the good company."  
  
She examined his tone thoroughly and decided that her mind had been made up long before this moment. She had known Duo was a kind soul from the instant his cobalt eyes had opened. He wasn't the kind of person who was capable of harming her.  
  
"Hildey?" he asked bringing her back down to Earth. He watched her carefully afraid that one wrong move on his part would break something very delicate. Hilde felt captivated by his eyes; that anyone could ever feel such compassion towards her filled her with an inexplicable feeling. It made her heart soar.  
  
His demeanor changed as her eyes never left his. She hollowly felt years of pent up pain and heartache in the endlessness of his azure depths. Profound wisdom and a childlike innocence rimmed the curves of his sapphire orbs. She knew if she looked deep enough, his heart would probably shine of pure gold. She wasn't aware of anything as their faces closed the remaining gap. Time seemed to come to a brief stand still as the two drew nearer till their noses almost touched. Hilde felt that her body was being driven on some kind of autopilot going at an agonizingly lethargic pace. She tilted her head slightly forward leaned up to meet him as he bent down-then felt something crash into her legs sending her sprawling onto the sand.  
  
Cold shock played with her heart; what had she been doing? Duo was not something tangible-by the end of the week he would be gone. What was she doing, expecting him to fill the void in her soul left by that heartless Jeff? She shook her head to clear it of both thoughts and sand grains before taking Duo's offered hand. "Are you okay?" Duo asked pulling her to her feet.  
  
"Yeah," she answered in a slightly wavering tone. She chuckled down at the almost grinning sopping wet puppy sitting with one hindquarter tucked under his rump. The magic from before seemed to dissipate as the last emissions of blazing orange light dipped below the horizon. Duo called to Steve and the trio trotted back through the growing cold to the apartment in a slightly awkward hush.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Wow! I surprised myself! Duo and Hilde took a sharp turn, where is it going to lead? Oh, sorry if the above portion sounded corny, I tried my best to make it seem real and wholesome, not just some sudden sparks of romance leaping up into a fiery passion (which is how many romantic fanfic author's like to write their stories). Please, tell me how you liked this chapter in a review, I love getting them. And please, if you don't have anything else to do, you're completely bored (and even if you're not) email me at: veledore@hotmail.com. I absolutely love getting emails (especially from people who read my work). I'm not saying that I'd prefer you send emails instead of reviews, but if you've got the time and you feel like it, drop me a line. Tschüs!  
  
-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com) 


	7. Ferris Wheels and Cotton Candy

Abandoned Reverence  
  
  
  
Author's Note: I have just recently noticed that in all of my chapters, I have left out a very big detail (very sorry, I should slap myself). When the story began (Prologue) it was a Friday night, the next chapter was Saturday, and the next chapter after that was Sunday. This chapter the day is Thursday, and some of you may be wondering why it really matters. First of all, I want you to understand that Duo and Hilde have been together for a very small amount of time. Also, we are nearing a very important chapter (the one that occurs Friday where Hilde _finally_ gets some answers from Duo). That means you don't want to miss next the next chapter because it will hopefully be able to shed some light on Duo's predicament. So stay tuned! This chapter isn't really going to be that big of a deal (in my opinion at least), but I certainly wouldn't suggest skipping over it. Okay? Tschüs!  
  
-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com, please, I'm begging you now, email me! Tell me more directly what you think of this story!!!!!!)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing nor any of its characters.  
  
* Indicates thought  
  
~ Indicates flashback  
  
Chapter 6: Ferris Wheels and Cotton Candy  
  
***  
  
Hilde awoke with a start sitting straight up and throwing back the sheets of her bed. The recent nightmare rewound and played in her mind once more. She shivered and rubbed at her itchy eyes trying to rid the awful images from her mind.  
  
She had dreamt of you-know-who again and it had come in the same fashion as the other feverish reverie. This time the setting was on the beach. A sweet longing filled her senses as she leaned into Duo for the inevitable kiss. She could almost taste the silky feel of his lips on hers. Overhead, the sun blanketed them in a soft pink hue radiating of passion. Down on the beach Steve yipped excitedly at his stick still floating on the sea. The pup was so far away-nothing could ruin this perfect moment.  
  
Suddenly, her body was ripped from Duo's embrace by something behind. She turned and faced the menacing smirk of Jeff. "What do you think you're doing Hilde? Don't you remember? You belong to me." He chuckled and behind him materialized the body of Mindy. She too erupted in a lilting cackle and her arms crept around Jeff's waist in a possessive hold. Jeff pulled away from Mindy and forced himself onto Hilde. She struggled beneath his grasp. He turned into some kind of liquid substance and forced himself down Hilde's esophagus and nose. She gagged and choked trying to spit out the hateful material. Exhausted and on the brink of passing out, Hilde had finally woken.  
  
She wiped the sweat off her forehead and climbed out of bed. Pulling on a pair of shorts and a sweater she crept through the hall passing a not-so- soundly-sleeping Duo. His snores completely covered any noise she happened to make, yet she still took the extra precaution of being quiet as she grabbed her sneakers and trod lightly down the hall.  
  
The ocean broiled harshly this morning. The whipping wind cut across her cheeks and formed tears in her eyes. The sand swirled in small clouds disturbing footprints from other visitors. The seagulls overheard cawed their frustration as they flapped into the wind. Cottony gray mountainous clouds gathered just above the horizon.  
  
Hilde wasted no time worrying about the weather as she started jogging. *If it's going to rain,* she thought, *then let it.* She sprinted across the first expanse of beach not slowing until she reached the bend. Then, setting a more reasonable pace, she slowed and allowed her muscles the much- needed oxygen. Her blood raced in a frenzy, confused due to the sudden transition from deep sleep to extreme activity. She felt mildly light- headed, but didn't pay the dizziness any heed. The dream rushed through her mind as she tried to decipher it.  
  
It wasn't so much Jeff's warning that shook her; his charming face nearly always plagued her dreams. More, it was that desperate, suicidal dive of desiring Duo. *It isn't fair,* she concluded, *He can come and go as he pleases, but I have to suffer.* She panted when a gust came across her side and deprived her a breath of air. *I know Jeff and I are having problems now,* she thought not paying attention to the terrible thirst starting to creep along the back of her throat. *But, surely we could've worked through them.* She brushed a loose bang from her eyes. *Jeff has lots of good qualities,* she told herself. *And I know he still wants me,* she settled. *Why else would he feel so jealous of Duo?*  
  
Inside her brain, the image of Jeff's mocking eyes flashing as he tried to choke her with a murderous kiss replayed. She shuddered. The possibilities for that part of the dream were endless. She glanced over at the raging sea. The tide was coming in and loose sprays of salty water slapped at her ankles. She couldn't help noticing how the color of the ocean and the color of Duo's eyes were so similar. Her cheeks flushed at her dream rolled through once more. *I don't like Duo,* she firmly told herself. *Last night was just an attempt to comfort myself. I obviously was more enraged by that picture of Jeff and Mindy then I realized. Duo will be gone forever after tomorrow, at least I can count on Jeff to always be around.*  
  
Thus her mind made, she finished her jog with some sort of peace concentrating only on the pounding of her feet along the sandbar. She trotted past one more bend before stopping to rest on a small rock jutting from the sandy ground. Leaning against it she looked out into the raging sea; an outward portrayal of her inner turmoil. *What have I gotten myself into?* she thought distractedly when the comparison of Duo's eyes came once again. *I've only known him a few days, I couldn't possibly be so attached.* Something inside of her laughed leeringly, *Oh please Hilde,* the ridiculing voice said, *He was everything you wanted Jeff to be and more. Until now you never thought there was anyone better than Jeff, but now you're not so sure…* Hilde sighed. She despised the rolling reflections, yet was helpless to stop them. *I'll just let them run their course,* she decided. *I'm sure after he's gone I'll move on and get over it.* Finished with her break, she got up from the rock and jogged back at a slightly slower pace.  
  
***  
  
Because the clouds blocked her view of the sun, Hilde had no way of telling what time it was as she climbed the stairs passing by numerous windows. She made her way to the door quietly though, just in case it was still early enough to wake sleeping inhabitants.  
  
She walked inside slipping of her sandy shoes and setting them inside the doorway. Leaning over, she brushed as many of the grain from the leather material as possible. SLAM. Because the door was open, Hilde met the hallway floor as Steve wriggled around her aching body trying to reach her face. "Steve, no," she whispered harshly trying to push the intrusive muzzle from licking her face. Due to the pup's large size, and her unpreparedness, Hilde could not fend off the monstrous beast who tackled her further to the ground and wiped her face clean with his wet tongue.  
  
"Ahh, Steve, get off," Hilde heard Duo's voice from above her as he pulled on the dog's neck. Whimpering, the dog retreated, tail tucked between his legs and ears lowered, back into the apartment. Chuckling, Duo helped Hilde to her feet.  
  
She shook her head incredulously. "You'd think I'd have learned by now," she said wiping access dog drool from her face.  
  
Laughing more, Duo fingered a scrap of her soaked hair, "Are those blonde roots I see?" he joked at her airheadedness.  
  
She shook her head in reply and declared, "I'm going to wash off. Have you already had breakfast?" She asked him. He nodded his affirmative and she proceeded inside closing and locking the door behind her.  
  
"I've got to go run a few errands," Duo told her. "But afterwards I thought we might go check out that carnival," he said pointing towards a newspaper sprawled on the table. It was the same one that visited that boardwalk once a month; the same one that Jeff had always taken her too.  
  
She shrugged off the notion tossing a casual "Sure," to Duo. His face lit in quiet delight before he headed out the door closing it behind him. She sighed patting Steve's lowered head passing him on her way to the kitchen. Pouring water in the top of her coffee maker, and waiting for the water to warm, she briefly contemplated Jeff's whereabouts. *No doubt in Ms. Mindy's bed,* she thought grimly looking over at the clock to see that it was only eight thirty. Her muscles groaned and she stretched them in attempt to loosen their scrunched cramps. Taking the ready coffee and pouring it in a mug, she opened the door of her balcony letting the light air brush against her face. The far off mountainous clouds were already moving along their path and Hilde could see a break of blue sky in the middle. *So the storm's moving on,* she thought absently and, finished with her coffee, went back inside to take a shower.  
  
***  
  
Clothed and fed, Hilde waited for Duo's return with growing impatience. She kicked herself once more for not setting a solid time they would meet. *It's not as though he would have given you one,* her mind retorted and she could not help but agree. He came while she was in the midst of a game for Steve, and an aggravating show of the dog's lack of obedience as Hilde's shoe hung from his mouth.  
  
"Steve!! Get back here!!" she demanded hurling herself at where the dog stood, tail wagging. Merely moving aside, the dog dodged Hilde's attempt and she growled in frustration. By this time Duo was doubled over in laughter and Hilde gave him and accusing glare. "A little help?" she asked in annoyance and without responding (his mouth was still too full of chortle to say _anything_) He grabbed Steve by the back of the neck and quickly yanked the shoe from the dog's mouth, handing it to Hilde. The dog trotted in defeat.  
  
She sat down on the couch and slipped it on, only to find it slimy and gross. "Eww," she commented pulling it back off and running down the hall to her room to grab a change of socks and another pair of shoes. Not uttering a word, Duo watched her receding back still laughing.  
  
***  
  
They crossed the street and followed the end of the boardwalk just as the carnival opened which meant that the sun still shown brightly in the sky. Against all of her pleas, Duo had brought Steve saying that the poor thing was getting tired of sitting inside all day. "How do you know?" she had shrilly asked.  
  
"He is _my_ dog, isn't he?" Duo countered and the argument was settled as he fastened the leash onto Steve's collar.  
  
Approaching the ticket booth, the pair bought plenty of tickets and continued in to the large set of rides and other games. They strolled down a length of the carnival area. "How about we ride the rides first?" Duo suggested making a beeline towards the closest one.  
  
"We should wait until night, that way we can ride when all of the lights are on," Hilde responded.  
  
"Okay, how about we play the games? I could win you a big teddy bear…" he taunted, but once again Hilde shook her head.  
  
"What would I do with a big teddy bear on the rides?" Hilde asked once again crashing his good time.  
  
"Eating's always good," Duo resolved.  
  
"Yeah, if you want to barf it up when you get to the rides," she responded.  
  
Irked Duo said, "Well, what should we do Ms. Know-It-All?"  
  
Hilde looked about once before answering. "How about that?" she asked pointing to an open door with the sign 'Maze of Mirrors' over the top of it.  
  
Perking up, Duo exclaimed, "Yeah! Okay," before excitedly grabbing Hilde's arm and dragging her over to the ticket collector.  
  
"Three tickets per person," the stooped man said dully. It obviously was going to a long night for him.  
  
Tossing the man six tickets, Duo dashed in ahead leaving Hilde to stroll more precariously around the twists and turns of the mirrored maze. Almost five minutes of dead ends and backtracking passed before Hilde called out for Duo. The silence she received unnerved her. *What's the matter?* she asked herself harshly. *Afraid of being alone?* The answer to that question was no, but she still couldn't help feeling uneasy. Making a right, she smacked into an image of herself. Turning, she caught the glint of a chestnut braid in the mirrors. "Duo? Are you there?" she called out only to once again be met with silence. She continued on her way, backtracking and making a left when the heavy treads of footsteps rang out behind her. Someone else had entered the maze. Hilde almost gasped aloud when the person turned a corner and the muscular build of Duo's black-haired pursuer wandered through the maze.  
  
Being quiet as humanly possible, Hilde practically ran through the maze's corridors in attempt to put distance between herself and the man hoping and praying that he hadn't caught sight of her reflection. And that he hadn't heard her calling out to Duo. Two more rights passed her and she thankfully dove out into the diminishing light of the exit. Orienting herself, she looked every which way for Duo, yet could find no trace of him. Frantic, she ran to the other side of another building hoping that the man, if he came out, didn't see her.  
  
*Has he been following me?* she asked herself. Well, that was a stupid question, of course he had been following her; she was probably the most suspicious person they had met with. She edged around the side of the building and nearly crashed into Duo. Holding in her scream of surprise, she hissed, "Where were you?" at the befuddled (and hotdog laden) man.  
  
"I got hungry," was his sheepish reply and she pulled him back against the wall next to her side.  
  
"They're here," she whispered into his ear and his eyes became hard. Ducking into the shadows, he looked about for a trace of movement. Finding none, he grabbed Hilde and led her into a throng of passing people.  
  
"Where' Steve?" Hilde asked suddenly aware of the dog's absence.  
  
"That's where we're going," Duo told her and they didn't speak anymore crossing around the back way in a big circle to get to the front.  
  
Nearing the entrance, a man holding a carton of cotton candy stopped them. "Buy some cotton candy?" he asked. "It's only four tickets."  
  
Not wanting to say anything for fear they would be heard and followed, Duo tossed a wad of tickets angrily into the man's face and plucked the biggest bag he could find. Together, they made their way to a bike rack were Steve waved his tail and barked excitedly after them. They ducked under the cover of the cotton candy when a particularly large throng of people passed by, then continued to where Steve anxiously awaited.  
  
Hilde turned and kept watch while Duo worked at the knots entangled further by the dog's constant unrest. She gasped when a familiar face rounded the corner and strolled as if enjoying the carnival. "Duo," she started, but didn't have to finish. A glance brought Duo springing to his feet.  
  
Panic flooded his facial features for an instant when he couldn't think on how to proceed. Grabbing the wad of cotton candy, he held it before their heads. Reaching out, he breathed, "Play along," before ravishing her lips with his own. She could hardly contain her astonishment, but her gasp was lost as he deepened their kiss to make it look as though the two were lost in a make-out fest. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled the braid around the side of his neck so that the passing person could not tell how long whose hair was. She was mildly surprised by its soft texture and almost didn't want to let go of it when it was safely around his front. She did though, and proceeded to bring her other arm over his neck again feeling breathless by that point; Duo wasn't relenting. She felt adrenaline rush through her veins when the heavy clomp of a certain person's footsteps made their way nearer from behind. She squeezed her eyes closed and held out hoping to high heaven that the plan worked. Duo wrapped his other arm around her waist guiding her back just a bit so that they would be better concealed behind the cotton wad. Sneaking a peak, she opened one eye to see the man casually stroll off looking different ways.  
  
Finally breaking off, Hilde gasped for breath while Duo ducked down to give another try at untying the leash. "Duo!" Hilde whispered urgently. "We need to keep moving! He might turn around!"  
  
Knowing that she was right, he let go and standing he looked for another escape. He found it at a ride to their right. "Come on," he said pulling her to the control box of the Ferris Wheel.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked as he reached underneath and rearranged a few wires.  
  
"I'm ensuring our escape," he answered pulling her into the line of three people. Thankfully, they all went into one booth and Duo and Hilde were quickly shuffled into another booth. "You've still got the cotton candy?" he asked looking down at her hand to see it clutching it in a deathly grip.  
  
"Yeah," she answered anyway flushing slightly. The Ferris Wheel started moving, and the rocking compartment slowly made its way to the very top where it jolted suddenly and stopped. "What happened?" Hilde asked looking over the edge where a man was busily fussing with the controls.  
  
"We're stuck," Duo answered the obvious.  
  
"For how long?" Hilde asked.  
  
"A while, I hope," Duo replied propping his feet up on the seats opposite them and sticking his hands behind his head.  
  
An eerie silence passed between the two. "So, what do we do when we're down?" she asked.  
  
"Make a mad dash for your house," Duo responded lazily.  
  
"You don't think they'll be there?" she asked with concern.  
  
"Nah," Duo replied. The silence enveloped the two again and Hilde sighed sitting back in the seat. *Oh well,* she thought. *Might as well make the best of things.*  
  
Behind them, the sun was starting to set below the water bringing the twinkling stars and purpled blue sky to light. The sea green waves rippled in a golden shine responding to the brilliance radiated by the descending orange sphere. Hilde looked thoughtfully over at the edge of the car…and sat up very suddenly. The engraved numbers sixteen stood out.  
  
"What is it?" Duo asked as she ran her fingers over the embossed numbers.  
  
"It's nothing," she replied thinking back to that night six years ago.  
  
"It's _him_ isn't it?" Duo pressed; almost as if reading her mind.  
  
"No…yes," she responded not meeting his gaze.  
  
Duo didn't remark any further, and she didn't either. Wanting to say something to break the tension, she sighed and commented about the beauty of the fallen twilight. "Yeah," the normally talkative Duo replied before going back into a thoughtful trance.  
  
She sighed again. The sudden need to talk seized her, "Listen…"  
  
"Hey…" they both said their individual word in unison.  
  
Flushing, Hilde said, "Go ahead."  
  
"I…um…listen, I know you've beaten yourself up over that Jeff guy, but don't you think…" he stumbled awkwardly not sure how to proceed. Hilde sat listening with stoic grace. "What I'm trying to say is, Jeff doesn't know what he's missing." When she frowned in puzzlement he elaborated, "You're a great kisser."  
  
Putting on a genuine blush this time she stammered a thanks. "This was the spot where he asked me to go steady you know," she told him looking out across the sea. "Six years ago. Long time huh? You know something though? I haven't thought about him here once today except for now. That's getting toward the right track isn't it?" she asked smiling.  
  
"Yeah…" Duo replied looking at her for a moment, then following her gaze over to the waters.  
  
Looking at the gathering crowd below, Hilde spotted a crowd of men wearing black tops heading out to the parking lot and climbing into expensive looking cars. "There they go," said pointing over to them.  
  
A wash of relief seemed to overcome the two of them and they sat back as the Ferris Wheel grumbled to life. "That was fun," Hilde commented as they started descending. Duo chuckled lightly and she said, "No, really, I've never had such a great time at the carnival."  
  
"Well, your welcome," Duo responded as they climbed out of the cart. Walking over to Steve, Duo finally was able to kneel and overpower the twisted knots as a neglected Steve wriggled in excitement.  
  
The trio walked out into the night toward home.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Surprised? Let me tell you, so was I. Even though it wasn't exactly the real thing…still, it was an advancement right? Tell me what you thought, I'm _dying_ to know (you can e-mail me at: veledore@hotmail.com to tell me personally *hint hint*). But, let me tell you that you _really_ don't want to miss next chapter, it will have some answers for all of you dying to know what the heck is going on! So stay tuned! Bis Dann!  
  
-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com) 


	8. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Abandoned Reverence  
  
Author's Note: I notice that the intervals between each chapter becomes longer and longer…sorry, but with summer coming up so fast, my plate has been loaded. And I must regretfully inform everyone that all my projects might have to come to a standstill over summer break because of my lack of income and my pressing need of a piccolo. In other words, I am making the jump into the working world this summer and may have to take a break. I don't know for sure though yet, so don't freak out. I really hope this chapter answers some of your questions (it should clear up a few matters) and, as always leave a review please! Tschüs!  
  
-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, nor any of its characters.  
  
* Indicates thought  
  
~ Indicates flashback  
  
Chapter 7: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow  
  
***  
  
Hilde absently twirled her spoon around the inside of the coffee mug letting loose thoughts cross her mind as she blankly watched the sea swell onto the shore. This morning (as opposed to all other mornings) had been blissfully uneventful. Even the physical touch of Duo from the night before didn't phase her bland mood. What was done was done. In a few hours he would be gone. She could move on.  
  
She wrapped her sweater closer to her body seeking warmth then took a sip of the dark brew. Even Steve seemed to know the darkness of the day as he lay silently on the floor of Hilde's kitchen. She walked over to where the sullen dog lay reaching down to stroke his golden fur sympathetically. The pup whined and looked up at her wagging his tail in an appreciative manner before setting his head back down. She set her mug carefully in the sink trying not to glance over at the small slip of paper sitting over on the counter.  
  
Hilde,  
  
I'll meet you at the prison.  
  
Duo  
  
She shuddered involuntary. This couldn't be healthy. How could a person know someone for a few days (a very small amount of time in comparison to a life span) and yet still feel as though they'd known them forever? *They can't,* Hilde thought resolutely. She was one who strongly disagreed with the concept 'love at first sight'. You might as well say you only care about the person's beauty. She had fallen in love with Jeff at first sight.  
  
She glumly scrubbed at a few dishes absently watching as the running water ran over her fingers. Perhaps it had been the adventure he put in her dull life, perhaps it was a very refreshing break from life. She didn't know why she felt so drawn toward Duo. *But it doesn't matter,* she told herself firmly. That's right; he would be gone before the day fell to night.  
  
She jerked the faucet down cutting the rush off instantly. She walked into the living room and reclined into the loveseat. Her bag lay in the other corner where she had thrown it yesterday. That night…she had jumped at every sound made in the night, yet just as Duo had predicted, nothing came of it. They had told one another how extremely exhausted each one was upon coming home. Each retired to bed faster than Hilde had seen. She had hoped to avoid him, yet now she wasn't so sure.  
  
Pulling out the papers in her bag, she spent the rest of the morning sorting through work files from newspaper clippings, to pictures and notes. The ticking clock slipped far from her mind and she wandered through the numbing effect delving one's self into a task will do. Outside the sun lazily inflated through the atmosphere reaching the peak all too soon. Standing, Hilde stretched her weary limbs and gathered her materials. Steve whined and trotted next to side escorting her to the door. *Poor dog,* Hilde sympathized before walking out the door into the afternoon light.  
  
***  
  
The drive should have been short, but because Hilde had not ever visited the prison, she got lost twice and finally had to stop at a gas station and ask for directions trying to ignore the funny looks she got when inquiring. All together, she was fifteen minutes late. Hoping they would still allow her an interview (despite her late arrival) she hastily made her way to the back where a small secluded room stood.  
  
She met a large heavily tinted window so the prison guards could look inside, but the awaiting interviewee could not see outside. Hilde encountered two shocks. The first was Duo. He was situated before the window-arms crossed and a scowl dominating his face as he examined the awaiting man. The second was none other than Ms. Relena Peacecraft sitting on the waiting couch opposite the window. Her brow was knit with worry and her eyes were lined with deep circles below the lids. She was busy twisting the hems of her skirts nervously. Her eyes did not leave the face of the man inside.  
  
Hilde nodded at Duo as she passed him. She was certainly surprised to see him, but she also knew why he was there. However, Relena's case was something totally different and Hilde couldn't fathom what she wanted. She smiled cautiously reaching Relena's side. Snapping out of her trance, Relena looked up into Hilde's concerned eyes. "I suppose you're wandering why I'm here," she stated in a perfectly monotone voice. Hilde nodded and she said, "Shortly after we talked, I received a phone call from my mother. She said I was being irresponsible and foolish for doing nothing and hired a lawyer for me. He's supposed to be one of the best in the country. She says it's time I start atoning for my family."  
  
Hilde frowned. "Relena," she said, "I don't understand why you don't just do it. It obviously means a lot to your family, and quite frankly, you'd be doing all of us a favor."  
  
"Hilde look at him!" Relena cried letting the first strand of passion coil through her tone. "He's barely our age! Supposing he didn't do anything, am I to be responsible for taking his life?"  
  
"Relena, listen to yourself," Hilde reasoned trying to calm the flustered woman. "The police found his fingerprints everywhere! The bullets he used to kill your uncle matched a gun in his possession, and when your uncle tried to defend himself, he managed to cut his attacker. The blood matches Yuy's one hundred percent."  
  
"I know," Relena sighed. "I can't explain it Hilde, it's like I'm messing with something way beyond just me. It would be one thing if Yuy had molested small children. I wouldn't hesitate. But, when I looked at the files of the other men he has killed, I can't help but see a similarity between them and my uncle, they had terrible records of family abuse and most of their wealth was stolen. Hilde, don't think I'm unrealistic, something just doesn't feel right to me."  
  
Hilde sat down running her hands through her hair as the diplomat pleaded her case. Hilde could see why she was elected; she certainly was persuasive. "What do you want from me?" Hilde asked finally.  
  
A moment's hesitation played between the pair. "Just prove me wrong so that I can get on with my life. I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been having a rather large case of insomnia lately. I can't sleep without thinking about it."  
  
Hilde sighed and nodded standing and gesturing for Duo to follow her. She showed the guard waiting at the door her paperwork and proceeded through the door inside a tiny room. The walls were painted stark white, and a bare- bulb light clung to the ceiling. Four wooden chairs sat about a big table. One chair was occupied.  
  
"Mr. Yuy?" Hilde asked timidly coming to stand before the table. He looked up from his seat at the table and met Duo's eyes first. A spark of recognition glimmered across his Prussian depths. Underneath a tousle of dark brown locks, he nodded vaguely in Hilde's direction. She instantly felt the tension mounting. This was a killer after all.  
  
Taking a seat, she motioned for Duo to take a seat. He merely shook his head and remained standing. She shrugged and continued, "My name is Hilde Schbeiker, I'm from the 'West Jost' and I was hoping you'd answer a few questions for me."  
  
Heero looked in Duo's direction. Duo nodded and Heero gruffly asked, "What kind of questions?"  
  
"You were accused of murdering a countless number of men all of whom were respectable political figures in our community. Is that correct?" she asked producing a note pad and a pen.  
  
"Thirteen, not countless. Yeah, I was accused of killing them. But I wouldn't call them _respectable_," Heero answered.  
  
"Could you elaborate?" Hilde asked.  
  
"They secretly supported governmental conspirators bent on controlling our government," he answered matter-of-factly and Hilde raised her eyebrows. This guy was obviously cracked.  
  
"Can you support this claim?" Hilde asked him curiously.  
  
Heero once again looked over at Duo. "No," he replied.  
  
"Why not?" Hilde asked.  
  
"Because he'd be putting you at risk too," Duo spoke up.  
  
Hilde gave him a sharp look, "Oh God Duo, don't tell me you're mixed up in this also."  
  
"Listen Hilde, it's like what Relena was telling you. There _are_ bigger things going on than you know," Duo said.  
  
Hilde shook her head looking at both Duo and Heero. "That doesn't make any sense. There is no such thing as government conspiracies. They only use that crap as story plots for X-Flies."  
  
"Can you support that claim?" Heero mocked Hilde.  
  
Duo went on talking over Hilde to Heero. "There are many kinds of people in this world Hilde. Some are good, some are bad, but most are both. You never really know which a person is, so you should watch yourself."  
  
Heero nodded obviously understanding the importance of the coded sentence and Hilde lost it. Standing abruptly and narrowing her eyes, she growled, "Apparently I was wrong Mr. Yuy. It seems I would need to talk to your psychiatrist to get a rational answer."  
  
She stormed out of the office not bothering to glance back and check if Duo followed her. Storming passed the security guard; she nearly smacked into an all too familiar presence. "Ms. Schbeiker, how lovely to run into you again," a low gravelly voice dripping with menace said. Hilde froze tilting her head back and looking into an unwelcome sight.  
  
She backed up carefully and nearly ran into Relena. "You've met with my attorney Blake?" Relena asked and Hilde whirled around to face her in a panic.  
  
"Uhh," she stuttered at a loss. Quickly glancing under her lashes, she could not make out Duo's figure behind the door. At least he was concealed. But that didn't make up for the fact that he would have to come out sometime. Soon. "Yes, we've talked on a few occasions," Hilde continued keeping a calm exterior. Inside her heart pounded irregularly.  
  
"Perhaps you'd like to join us for some lunch?" Relena asked obviously relieved by Hilde's acquaintance. Perhaps she thought that Hilde was friends with the guy. Oh, how wrong she was with that one.  
  
She agreed anyway hoping to buy Duo a chance for escape. A pang of guilt stabbed her soul. Perhaps if she hadn't been so rash, she could've helped Duo out a little more. Now she probably wasn't even going to see him again. She hadn't even gotten to say good-bye.  
  
As the trio made their way down the hallway, Relena first, Blake second, Hilde last, she saw a flicker in the shadows behind her. Pretending to turn her head and cough, she locked eyes with a hiding Duo clamed up in the shadows of the hallway. He nodded slightly in her direction and then slipped around the corner disappearing as mysteriously as he had come.  
  
She would never see him again.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Wow, I'm really sorry. This chapter was supposed to have two parts: Duo's leaving and another major turn, but as you can see, I've broken it up. So I know that this chapter was majorly funky and screwed up, but it's all I can say for now. I'm really sorry if you couldn't see how that chapter tied in Duo's position in the world. To be quite frank, it didn't really…sorry about that. Anyway, keep reading; next chapter adds a big twist. I'm expecting it to be completed by sometime next week. Perhaps Wednesday if your really good. Thanks to everyone who has already written a review. They really mean so much to me! Tschüs!  
  
-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com) 


	9. Another Twist

Abandoned Reverence  
  
Author's Note: Contrary to popular belief, I am not dead; quite the opposite as a matter of fact. I can't express how incredibly sorry I am for putting off Abandoned Reverence for the amount of time that I have. I did promise to finish this project though, and I like to think I stick by my word. I would especially like to give my friend Lee a special thanks for showing such unfaltering support-even when I wasn't replying to your emails. I just want you to know how much I appreciate your persistence. I also want to thank my very good friend Adriana Rosalina for helping me out along the way. You should go check out her work on my behalf. Okay, that said, I'll move on to the important part. Tschüs!  
  
-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, but Jeff and Mindy are my own characters, so please don't use them without my permission.  
  
Chapter 8: Another Twist  
  
***  
  
"So I told him to get a job!!!" Blake bellowed laughing ridiculously at his own joke. Both Hilde and Relena feebly chuckled along. An hour in lunch and Hilde could already tell that Relena didn't trust her new lawyer completely. *Good,* Hilde thought. *She shouldn't.* She glanced around the perimeter of the tiny restraunt once more seeking what she knew wouldn't be there. *He's gone,* she chided herself. *Get over it.*  
  
"Isn't that right, Ms. Schbeiker?" Blake asked smoothly interrupting her thoughts.  
  
She looked up quickly. "Sorry?" she exclaimed paying more attention.  
  
"I was merely saying that the lobster here was supposed to be excellent, don't you agree?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, yes, I do agree. It's quite appetizing," she lied. Truthfully she hadn't even been able to taste the lobster flesh on her plate.  
  
"I'm still a little confused," Relena commented. "Where did you two say you met?"  
  
Hilde opened her mouth not even knowing how she could worm her way out of this one. "Actually," Blake's voice coiled placidly over her own, "I was working on a special investigation trying to track down a loose killer thought to be hiding out in Ms. Schbeiker's apartment building."  
  
A gasp escaped Relena's throat and she threw Hilde a wide-eyed look. "A killer? Oh Hilde, why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"I don't believe people should live in fear over something they don't have control of. I would've called Blake if I saw the killer." The statement was more intended for Blake than for Relena. Her violet eyes shimmered stubbornly as she silently challenged the chiseled man.  
  
"Perhaps you've seen him Ms. Peacecraft," he suggested turning to face Relena. It was Hilde's turn to look both shocked and surprised as she sent a warning look over at Relena who just barely managed to catch sight of it. "He's about this high," Blake continued indicating with his hand, "He's got blue eyes and long brown hair-he likes to keep it in a braid."  
  
Hilde's heart jumped into her throat with each pound. She cast Relena her best "Please don't say anything" look and silently prayed the diplomat would keep quiet. Relena's gaze barely flickered over Hilde's face before she replied, "No, I'm sorry. I haven't seen anyone like that."  
  
Blake stuttered, but only momentarily as Hilde felt a rush of relief overcome her weary body. *Thank you Relena, I promise I'll explain later,* she thought. Blake regained control of the situation by putting a willowed, "Well, please inform me if you ever do. This man is nearly as murderous as Yuy." At the mention of Yuy's name, Relena suddenly grew quite sullen and she dipped her head.  
  
Hilde didn't like Blake. At all. The fact that he was more than willing to prosecute against Yuy was enough to drive Hilde toward wanting to believe what he had said earlier. *Come on, Hilde,* she scolded herself, *Don't buy into that crap.* She shook her head. She wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Duo was gone. She needed to clear her head.  
  
"Excuse me," she declared standing from the table. Both Blake and Relena looked up from their conversation on the best strategy to pursue in Yuy's case. "I just remembered an appointment I have to get to," she stated and left after paying for her share of the meal. Blake hadn't offered to pay. *Some gentleman,* she thought walking out the door.  
  
***  
  
The drive home was dull and uneventful. Hilde memorized the directions to the prison in case she had to visit again and headed in the direction of her office to check for any messages. The building was eerily silent as Hilde tiptoed to her room. A stale smell reached her nose as she closed the door. *How long has it been since I've been in here?* she wondered reaching her phone were a red light blinked once. She had a message.  
  
Picking up the receiver, she pressed the button to play the message and listened intently. Her heart dropped slightly when the voice turned out to be Jeff's. "Hilde, it's Jeff. Listen, uh.I'm comin' back. Mindy and I had some.trouble here. Anyway she isn't comin' so meet me at the airport in an hour-my flight should be in by three. I'll need a ride home. Bye."  
  
*Ungrateful bastard,* Hilde thought slamming the phone down. *Imagine the nerve,* she fumed feeling her rage rise. *Demanding a ride home from me without a please, or a thanks,* she ranted in her mind picking up the phone again and dialing the number for Jeff's cell phone.  
  
As was expected, the automated 'leave a voice mail' message came on. She figured he was probably out of range, but left him a piece of her mind anyway. "Listen Jeff. I've decided since you can't get it through your thick head anymore that I'm _not_ your lackey, I'll make my point straight and simple. Get your own ride. I will _not_ be at the airport. I will not be at the office either. I'm leaving you Jeff. And if you show up at my door, I'll have you arrested. Got that? I'm sick and tired of dragging your ass behind me. It's time I let go. It's time we _both_ let go. Good bye Jeff."  
  
She let out a breath feeling the lofty fluttering of her heartbeat's surge. She looked around the tiny space of her office again and giggled. It certainly felt good to be free. Walking around the desk, she opened the drawer and took what little office supplies were hers. Sitting down in her desk, she left a small note for Jeff's secretary. The older woman had always been good to her offering her words of wisdom and kind smiles. Hilde sincerely hoped the woman would forgive her. Jeff was irresponsible and the 'West Jost' was sure to die once Hilde left. *But I can't afford to stay here anymore,* she told herself grabbing an empty box and dumping her belongings inside.  
  
Trotting out the door, she slipped the note on the secretary's desk and stopped inside Jeff's office. She placed her keys to the office on his desk and turned to go. She halted suddenly looking back over her shoulder at a chilling sight. Perched on Jeff's desk was a card similar to the one Blake had given her twice. She frowned picking it up and examining it. The same number was printed neatly across the middle in black ink. There was neither a name nor a company on the card, which caused Hilde to frown again. She put the card back down, but on a second thought, picked it back up and tossed it out of the cracked window to her left.  
  
She picked up her box once again and left the building climbing into her car and driving home. There were very few cars in the parking lot when Hilde drove up to the building. She parked the car and got out leaving the box to be picked up another time. Climbing the stairs, she wearily trudged down her hallway and unlocked the door being careful to open the door should Steve decide to ambush her.  
  
She met with more surprise than just Steve. Standing in the front hall were two men adorned from head to foot in black. Black ski masks covered their heads hiding their faces from her view. And both of them carried guns. Hilde was no expert on firearms, but the ones these men carried were big.  
  
She back stepped and attempted to close the door hoping to buy herself time to run to the neighbors. Before she had time, the men reached out and grabbed both her elbows (very much in the same fashion Blake had before). She struggled and squirmed trying to wretch herself from their grasp, but they were simply too strong.  
  
Pulling her inside, she was handed over to one who put a firm hold on her arms. As the other closed and locked the door, she managed a small yelp before a hand was clamped over her mouth. None too gently she was pushed over to her couch and forced to sit.  
  
Three more men filled the living room dressed in the same attire. These obviously weren't the average run-of-the-mill house burglars. *Blake's guys,* she thought before one of them stepped forward. "Where is he?" the man demanded waving a gun in her face.  
  
"Where is who?" Hilde asked deciding to play innocent.  
  
"The writer of this note," the man didn't falter holding up Duo's message. She felt like kicking herself for not having the sense to have burned it. Or at least thrown it away.  
  
Behind the man, the others were milling about the living room carefully lifting up the sofa cushions and searching underneath, then putting them back down cautiously again. Another was putting her DVD player back together with a small screwdriver. They all wore black gloves and Hilde realized to her dismay that supposing she survived the ordeal, she would have nothing to call the police about; they stole a piece of paper, big deal. Maybe she could get them on breaking and entering, perhaps, but only if they left no evidence (and Hilde was certain that they were being careful not to). Otherwise, she would have absolutely nothing to take to the real authorities.  
  
"Where is he?" the man demanded again holding up the gun again.  
  
"He.he's not here," Hilde stated dumbly trying to think of something, _anything_. It was kind of hard to think though, when the barrel of a gun was being shoved in your face.  
  
"Don't play game's with me," the man warned and butted the cold steel of the gun against her head.  
  
The reality of the situation set in when she felt the icy sting of the metal. Shaking, she blundered out, "I.I can call him.I know how to reach him."  
  
Receiving encouraging nods from the two men posted at the doorway, the man pointed at the phone next to the couch. With quaking hands, she jerkily reached for the receiver, then paused when an idea formed. "What are you waiting for?" the man asked giving her another push with the gun.  
  
"I can't remember the number," she answered. "He wrote down the number.he said to call him if I was in trouble." she paused looking pale-faced at the gun in the man's capable hands. "I hid the paper somewhere in my bedroom."  
  
"We already checked the bedroom," the man gave her a suspicious glare.  
  
"I hid it," she insisted feeling her stomach churn and praying that he would take the bait.  
  
Checking the responses from the two other men who once again nodded, he gruffly signaled her to stand and shoved the gun into the base of her skull. She somehow managed to walk on shaky legs into the bedroom toward the back of the main hall.  
  
"Where is it?" The man asked as she looked about the room.  
  
Her sights landed on the nightstand and she hoped and prayed that the secret compartment in the drawer served its purpose well enough. She pulled the drawer open just a little so that the man couldn't see what she was doing.  
  
"I'm telling you, we already checked there," the man said impatiently. He gave a jump of alarm as Hilde whirled around brandishing a small handgun.  
  
"Apparently, you didn't check everywhere," she replied curtly.  
  
The man gave a small humorless chuckle. In one swift movement with more speed than Hilde thought his bulk capable of, he brought up and hand between Hilde's arms, and slamming into her loosely clenched fists, the gun clattered to the floor. He placed a triumphant foot over the weapon and bent to pick it up.  
  
Chuckling again, he brought it closer to his face to examine it without much apparent interest. He motioned for her to sit on the bed, which she did without complaint and he examined the false door of the nightstand. "Cute," he stated returning the gun to its place.  
  
He pushed Hilde back to her feet and forced her into the hall where she was once more forced to sit on the couch. The man signaled one of the men by the door to watch over her while he took out a small cell phone and dialed a number.  
  
"He's not here," the man said to whomever was on the other line. "The girl's here, but she doesn't know where he is."  
  
A bark from the balcony drew Hilde's attention. She looked over at the glass doors where Steve's nose was pressed. He barked again and scratched frantically at the door. The door was locked, so there wasn't a chance that the overgrown pup could wiggle his way inside. But perhaps, if he made enough noise, he would get the attention from one of the neighbors. Hilde made eye contact with the dog nodding and managing a weak smile to try and get him riled up. It worked well enough as the pup fairly went insane.  
  
"Hey," the man called out holding the cell phone down. "Shut that mutt up, I'm trying to talk."  
  
Hilde's breath caught in her throat as one of the men moved toward the door. "Nooo," Hilde cried standing and preparing to hurtle herself at the man readying his gun.  
  
A shrill ring reverberated throughout the house and Hilde wanted to collapse from the immense wave of relief flowing through her body. The phone was ringing. The house seemed to stand still for an instant. Even Steve calmed down as the man on the cell phone said a quick, "I'll call you back and hung up." All of the men gave the phone an uneasy look.  
  
"I was expecting a call," Hilde lied. "It's my neighbor. She'll be terribly worried if I don't answer."  
  
The man growled as the phone rang again. He looked over at the other men who shook their heads. They didn't know what to do. Had the situation not been so serious, Hilde would have thought it funny that such tough burly men were thrown so far off guard by a simple phone call.  
  
It rang again.  
  
"Answer it," the man growled obviously not happy about the decision. "But one word about us," he threatened and shoved the gun into her temple.  
  
It rang again and Hilde greedily snatched up the phone. *Please be Relena,* she prayed. *Or at least someone helpful.* "Hello?" her voice held trembles and her hands shook nervously as they held the cradle.  
  
There was a moment of silence and Hilde felt sick as she convinced herself that whoever was on the other line had hung up. "Hilde?" a small voice on the other end of the line answered.  
  
Hilde felt her heart first skip a beat and then drop. It was Mindy on the other line. Not only was she not very receptive and therefore probably wouldn't get whatever coded message Hilde sent her, but she was also hundreds of miles away and would be of no real use to Hilde. *Still,* Hilde thought, *I might be able to get her to call the police.* Yeah, one could _hope_.  
  
"Mindy," Hilde replied flatly, as though she had been expecting to hear that voice all along.  
  
The pressure of the gun against her head disoriented her thoughts and she almost didn't catch it when Mindy began to frantically spew meaningless sentences. ".We had a fight.I didn't know what to do.I told him he could go home by himself.he told me not to bother coming back." she broke into stuttering sobs.  
  
"Mindy," Hilde's voice sounded firm, Mindy _had_ to get a grip on herself if she was going to help Hilde out. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"It's Jeff," Mindy wailed miserably. "His plane crashed. He's dead Hilde. He's dead."  
  
Shock, cold as the steel being held against her head filled her already numb mind. "Wha-" she barely heard the syllable roll off her tongue before the blackness filled her mind. She vaguely felt a need to stay alert, but the overbearing weight from the day became too much for her to hold. She fell in a dead faint onto the floor.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Another twist! I know what you're thinking: Enough already! Just get to the point! I've drug this story out way too much, I know. Sorry. Believe me when I say that this particular turn _is_ necessary though. Please leave me a review because they keep the story rolling. Thanks! Auf wiedersehen!  
  
-Veledore (veledore@hotmail.com) 


	10. This Is It

I said that I would finish it, so here goes:  
  
-Abysst  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.  
  
Chapter 9: This Is It  
  
***  
  
Hilde awoke to a splitting headache and streaming light filtering in through the open curtains of her living room windows. She lay sprawled on the carpet of her rug, one hand loosely clutching a madly beeping phone and the other propped up against the side of the couch. She had somehow managed to lay her leg across the surface of the coffee table and the other one was crunched in between the couch and table.  
  
She sat up carefully and slumped her back against the lower frame of the couch. A weary sense of déjà vu pervaded her senses and she groggily recalled a night just barely a week ago when she had found her sleeping arrangements much to the same capacity.  
  
However...she had been drunk, she was sure of that. The wracking headache assaulting her now was not of a hangover nature, but more of a physical hurt starting at one central point...she reached up and gently stroked the side of her head wincing immediately and drawing her hand back. There was probably a big lump.  
  
She blinked furiously for a few seconds contemplating nothing in particular and rubbing the backs of her palms directly above the swell of her cheeks. A whine from her left caused her to lift her eyes and turn her head-an action that resulted in a grimace. She looked out of the glassy door of the balcony to a wiggly golden-bodied puppy scratching desperately at the window. She frowned. *Where did that dog come from? I don't have a-*  
  
Abruptly her thoughts cut off as a wave, no, a whole damn ocean of images flooded her mind. She remembered that drunken night a week ago pulling in a strange man-Duo-and lying him on her couch. She remembered the myriad dreams of Jeff and his captivating grin. She remembered the picture of him and Mindy-oh God, how could she forget-and the jealousy, the hurt, and the anger that had coursed through her body.  
  
"No," she groaned clutching her pounding head in her arms, "Stop, too much."  
  
She remembered the harsh _smack!_ of Duo's fist as it connected with Jeff's perfect chin-certainly a delightful sound, but why had Duo hit Jeff? She remembered Jeff's words stinging as the desert sand in a windstorm and of a computer full of bugs (what the hell?!), and a roly-poly little mass of fur and tongue-Bob, no, Steve-and the dangerous aura of a tall dark man-Blake.  
  
She shivered.  
  
She remembered Ferris wheels (cart number sixteen, please) and Jeff's insistent, thorough, enduring kiss, melting into the feel of someone else's lips. "...You're a great kisser..."  
  
Duo.  
  
His lips warm and inviting, not needy and greedy like Jeff's. His hands holding up a sweet cotton swab-the cotton candy-before their faces, and her own hands-one behind his neck and one laced in the silk of his chestnut braid. Steve's constant yipping fading away behind her...  
  
Crash!  
  
Something knocking her knees from behind-she reels forward-smacks into a chest (Duo) he pulls her to her feet and asks if she is alright, *_Am_ I alright?* and she is lost in the depths of his bottomless cobalt eyes. Intense, sad, murderous?  
  
Yuy.  
  
They suddenly transform into the severe gaze of the murderer who killed men- shot them once in the head. "...He wasn't a very nice man..." Relena's voice drifts from below and Hilde sees her tired beaten face of someone plagued with sleepless nights and terrible memories. "...am I to be responsible for taking his life?..."  
  
Cold steel.  
  
Being shoved into her temple. Someone grips the tops of her arm-tightly. Steve is outside barking like crazy, Hilde is inside trying to fight back a wave of nausea and panic while a man dressed eerily like Blake rumbles into his cell phone.  
  
Ring!  
  
A phone shrills and Hilde holds it up to her ear. This could be her last chance. Someone is crying and taking big watery gulps of air. Her squally voice is easy to identify. Mindy. "It's Jeff...his plane's crashed...he's dead..."  
  
Gone.  
  
Hilde slyly ducks down her head and sneaks a glance behind under the cover of her lashes. Duo's form is merged in with the elusive shadows always seeming to follow him. He nods and vanishes.  
  
"I hope you and your wife enjoy the show!"  
  
Hilde grasped the caps of her drawn knees so tightly that the tips of her knuckles turned white. Her head throbbed and her chest hitched, as though someone were slicing a portion of her ribs from her body. Big rivulets of tears swam down the contours of her face as the barrage of memories tapered reluctantly away.  
  
She cried for Jeff and for Duo and for Mindy and for Steve. She cried for Relena and even that murderous son-of-a-bitch Heero Yuy. She let out all the stress, exhaustion, tension, anger, jealousy, and bitterness flow out of her like electricity flowing out of a copper wire. She simply wanted the feelings gone. She wanted the pain to leave and never come back.  
  
Steve whined again from his perch by the door. Carefully, Hilde pushed herself from her crouch and stumbled over to the dog on wobbly legs. She carefully replaced the insistent receiver in the cradle as she passed by. Lifting the latch serving as a lock, Hilde pulled back on the handle and let the squirming dog dance into the room, first wriggling all over her and then ducking over to his spot underneath the coffee table. She watched the dog only for a moment before stepping out into the breeze of the morning outside.  
  
*This is where it started,* she thought leaning over the edge of the wrought iron railing and gazing wistfully into the turbulent sea below. Another river of tears threatened to break the dam she had mentally built as she looked into the speckled overcast of the sky. *This is where everything went wrong.* She wished she had someone to blame for all the pain she felt. She wished she could blame Jeff for hurting her. But that wasn't reasonable, after all, a person couldn't simply transform into another person. And Mindy, the witch who had stolen her job and her place in Jeff's heart. That was unfair, Mindy had no more control over Jeff than she did. She was merely playing the cards she was dealt. And Duo, who could have predicted his sudden drop (literally) into her life?  
  
*Why did he stay?* she wondered angrily. *Why did he stay, it only made me become more attached to him.*  
  
But that wasn't right either. In the end, the confused tangle of relations was too complex to unwind. If she really wanted to lay the blame on someone, there was really only one to blame. "Myself," she whispered into the caressing wind.  
  
*I was weak. I gave in to Jeff and Duo. In the end, I've only got myself to blame.*  
  
She sniffled and pushed herself up from the railing. This was stupid. Why waste time on regretting the unavoidable? What she needed was a long nap and more time to sift through her complicated feelings.  
  
She walked back inside, closed the door behind her and went to bed.  
  
***  
  
She woke to the sound of the phone and wearily picked it up.  
  
"Hello?" she asked in a husky voice. Running a hand through her hair she looked over at the clock. It was nearly ten at night.  
  
"Hilde?" Relena's voice came from the other line. "I've been calling all day, where have you been?"  
  
"Sleeping," Hilde replied sitting up. Her head had cleared a bit, but not by much.  
  
"Sleeping? Hilde, are you all right?" Relena asked, concerned threaded heavily in her tone.  
  
"Yes...no," Hilde admitted touching her wrist to her forehead.  
  
"What's the matter?" Relena asked and Hilde spilled her guts starting from the day she and Jeff broke up to last night not leaving a minute detail out of the story.  
  
"Oh Hilde," Relena replied when Hilde had finished. Tears were dribbling down her face again.  
  
"But the bad part about it is that I keep going back to the message I left on Jeff's phone. He deserved it, I know he did, but if I'd known that it would be the very last he heard from me before...before..." she stopped, not wanting to vocalize her thoughts. "Well, I just wish with all my heart that I could've left him with a better picture of me. Of _us_."  
  
"Hilde," Relena started carefully, " I want you to listen to me because I think you feel extremely guilty over what happened. You think it's your fault."  
  
"But it is my fault! Don't you see? If I hadn't set up that stupid interview, or...or if only it was _me_ who went instead, he wouldn't be...wouldn't be...dead..."  
  
"Hilde, listen to me!" Relena's voice rose in pitch trying to wrench Hilde from her sudden bout of passionate guilt. "Hilde, he _wanted_ to go. There was _nothing_ you could have done to stop him from his interview. You told me yourself that he _always_ gets what he wants and he wanted that interview. Don't push it onto yourself. Please."  
  
Hilde leaned back in the bed closing her eyes and mulling through the black fuzziness of her mind. None of her thoughts wanted to come in straight. "I just don't know what to do now," she finally said in a defeated voice. "What do I do now? I can't go back to work, and the one person that I really want to talk to...really _need_ to talk to is gone."  
  
"Why did he go?" Relena asked gently knowing very perfectly well who _he_ was.  
  
"He had to," Hilde replied and slumped her free hand behind her shoulder gripping the back of her neck. "He couldn't stay here, even if he wanted to."  
  
"So everything that Blake said-"  
  
"Was a lie," Hilde cut in. "Duo was many things, yes, I'll admit that, and a little off his rocker at times would be correct. But Duo was _not_ a murderer."  
  
"Do you know that for sure?" Relena asked quietly.  
  
"Ye..." Hilde trailed off recalling yesterday (it seemed so distantly far ago) when Relena had gazed through the darkened window of the convict's cell. Her ringed eyes imploring some peace that wasn't granted. Perhaps Relena had glanced the same righteous innocence in Yuy that Hilde had instantly recognized in Duo. The two did have the common demeanor of noble air surrounding them-as though theirs was a cause beyond mortal comprehension. She sighed resignedly. "I see your point."  
  
"Come move in with me," Relena said a moment later.  
  
"What? I couldn't possibly-" Hilde started before Relena cut in.  
  
"Nonsense," she replied, "I have a spare bedroom in my apartment and you could become my full-time secretary. I've been meaning to get one for so long. You can handle my paperwork and take my calls. You know, little things like that."  
  
"For a foreign ambassador?" Hilde asked, "Come on Relena, I mean, I hardly think I'm qualified for that kind of position. Besides, paperwork and myself...don't get along too well."  
  
"Well then I guess you'll both have to put aside your differences and learn, won't you?" Relena asked in a resolute manner.  
  
"But what about Steve? Duo had a dog, which I guess is kind of mine now. I can't just leave him."  
  
"Not a problem," the politic replied. "My tenant allows pets."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"No, but I know that I can talk her into it," Relena replied and Hilde could almost _hear_ the grin and sly wink following it.  
  
***  
  
Hilde trudged up the stairs toting a stack of folded cardboard boxes behind her. When she reached her level, she carefully propped the containers on the wall next to the door and fished her keys out of her pockets. Steve had already been taken over to Relena's earlier that day, so she didn't worry about a bombard at the entrance. As she mulled through the ring she reminisced on the outrageous prices from the little moving store next to her complex. "Twenty dollars for four boxes," muttered Hilde incredulously. She had given in and purchased twelve simply because she didn't want to waste the effort of finding something cheaper. "With my luck," she continued selecting one key and holding it up to the light to inspect it. It was the correct one. "They're all in on it together," she completed the thought and inserted the key into the door handle reaching out to grab the boxes at the same time.  
  
The door gave and swung open a few inches.  
  
She froze as fear iced through every vein in her body and she quickly whipped her hand back from the door. She watched as the dark beyond the frame seemed to sift around the edges and sweep through her frenzied mind. Taking several deep breaths, she removed the canister of pepper spray from her pocket and squeezed the bottle tightly. Since the break in, she made it a point not to leave her house without her gun, but she had merely crossed the street and left it not feeling she would actually need it.  
  
Now she would have to pay for her mistake. Blake's men were back, she was sure of this. They either weren't satisfied with their last search, or wanted to interrogate her again. An unexpected sliver of anger coiled around her heart as she contemplated the door. This was her home, goddammit, these men had no _right_ to invade her personal space and property. Acting on her briefly felt emotion, she kicked the door open the rest of the way and edged in holding her canister straight before her face and clutching it frantically with both hands.  
  
The apartment was dimly lit; even the open living room was dampened due to the overcast of clouds wrapping around the sunlight. She cautiously peeked around the corner of the kitchen and peered down the hall frowning in confusion and wariness when nobody was to be found.  
  
"Hilde."  
  
Movement and sound from the living room jerked a stifled scream from her tense lips. She whirled around and faced her adversary with two fingers poised over the button on top, ready for whatever action needed to be taken.  
  
The shadowy figure of a man stood before her dimly lit window. Because the angled light coming from the balcony illuminated the space behind him, Hilde could not discern the facial features of the man. "Hilde." His voice was harsh and scratchy, but still held a note of familiarity. Hilde was sure she had heard it before.  
  
"Hilde..." The man took a step forward and Hilde gasped aloud as light flooded his face. Flashing hazel eyes, wild knotted brown hair, a tattered business suit, and a pale sharply angled face-it was Jeff.  
  
Hilde gasped and took a step back. Her limbs quivered and her hands shook so much that the can slipped from her fingers and rolled to the ground near Jeff's worn loafers. "Jeff," she whispered because her voice had suddenly abandoned her. "How...where..." she trailed off and backed up more nearly screaming as her back touched the wall behind her. Was he a ghost? The mere idea seemed absolutely absurd, but so many raging emotions were running rampart through Hilde's heart that she could easily image Jeff as a poltergeist come to avenge his death.  
  
"Hilde," Jeff spoke again and took a step forward. There was an almost wild look in his eyes. He stopped and clutched his head. His body lurched around dizzily and he took two steps backward and sank into the couch groaning slightly.  
  
Alarm welled through Hilde. He obviously wasn't dead, but he was hurt. She rushed forward and stooped at his side. "Jeff, are you alright?" she asked.  
  
He nodded while donning a grimace and put his hands in his lap. "Hilde, I didn't know what to after the plane crashed...there were so many trees...so much metal and blood...I must've gotten away and wandered through the woods...it's really just a blur of pictures..."  
  
"Jeff, take it easy," Hilde said shaking his shoulders slightly and easing him back so that he was reclining against the back of the seat. "Why don't you relax, get your thoughts straight and I'll make some tea."  
  
She stood and breezed to the kitchen flicking on a few lights as she passed. Her hands still shook, which was evident by the clatter of the ceramic of the mug as she placed it on the counter and spilled the hot tea as she poured.  
  
When she returned, Jeff was sitting just as he was with his hands folded between his knees. He was looking off beyond the wall of the bathroom and into space and didn't stir from his meditative position until Hilde sat down beside him carefully setting the cup on the table before him.  
  
He mumbled his thanks and took a long sip of the tea while he watched Hilde over the rim of the mug. His eyes seemed to absorb every detail of Hilde's face, greedily drinking in her appearance. When he finished he set down the cup and went on staring at Hilde directly in the eyes. She was slightly perturbed by his behavior and surprised herself by directly meeting his gaze. Weeks ago she would've dropped her eyes feeling overwhelmed by the depth of his gaze compared to her own shallow stare. But now, his eyes didn't leave any impression on either her mind or heart. The only feeling she felt as she looked at him in return was polite curiosity.  
  
She felt a little surprised by the fact that she wasn't overcome with feelings of love and happiness that he was in fact alive. Perhaps, in some inner corner of her heart, she knew he hadn't died, just as she had known Duo was a kind soul. But her lack of feelings (besides a very slight case of relief) seemed only to magnify how distanced she and Jeff had become.  
  
While lost in thoughts of her own, Jeff had drained his drink. He cleared his throat and said, "Hilde, you know how much of a skeptical person I am, but something's happened to me that's...changed me. I've been terrible to you Hilde, terrible, unfair, and a complete bastard. But I was brought back here because...because we belong together Hilde.  
  
"After the plane crashed I was confused and disorientated. I couldn't remember whom I was or where I was supposed to be going. I didn't die because the seat next to mine folded over and shielded the impact of the crash from me. I...crawled out of the wreck and stumbled through the woods the plane crashed into. I don't exactly remember what happened while I was out there. I remember running into trees and getting caught in thorns and brush, and even those memories are sketchy.  
  
"But for some reason I kept flashing back to when we were both in school. Every memory we've ever shared or experienced together was all my mind wanted to dwell on. You were all I could think about while I was out there Hilde. I had nothing, I couldn't even remember my own name, but I could remember yours as clear as a bell could ring.  
  
"I don't know how much time passed, but I somehow found a road and managed to get a ride, right into the city. I began to remember things about myself, mainly because the people giving me rides asked a lot of questions, which I just suddenly answered. As though I'd known all the time. But I still thought of you.  
  
"And then, one day while I'm dozing in the back of a truck, I suddenly remember our fights and the last time we spoke. Hilde, I can't describe how...despaired I became. I was frantic to get back, to apologize, and hopefully to reconcile."  
  
Jeff kneeled to the floor and took Hilde's hand in his own. He smiled a dazzling smile, which pierced the dank shadows lurking on the ceiling overhead. Kneading Hilde's knuckles with his fingers, he bowed his head touching his forehead to the back of her hand. Raising his head, he smiled again and to Hilde's surprise, she saw a gleam of tears glistening on his cheeks. "Hilde," he said while still in his kneeling position, "I'm not complete because you're my other half. All my life you've cared for me and loved me and I haven't returned the feeling, at least, not as strongly as you have. And for that, I don't deserve you."  
  
He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss on the back of them. "But I want you to know that I'm ready to start over. I'm not perfect, but I won't use that as an excuse for what I did to you. You deserve to be worshipped, to be cherished, to be loved." He drew closer to Hilde so that his chest was touching her knees. "Hilde, I want to be the one to do all of that. And not just occasionally, but every day of my life. I'm not just asking for another chance. I _will_ do this right for your sake Hilde, because you're an angel. My angel."  
  
"I'm not sure I understand what you're saying," Hilde replied after taking a moment to mull over his words.  
  
"Well then I'll put it simply," Jeff responded, "Hilde, will you marry me?"  
  
No sooner had the words tumbled from his mouth than did Hilde feel her throat constrict painfully. A well of tears surged down her cheeks and dribbled onto Jeff's caressing hands. She gasped trying to draw a proper breath so she could collect the words she wanted to say. Her whole body felt weak from his powerful sentiment-laden speech, but her resolve had been sharpened to a steely point in the few weeks when her life had been turned upside down.  
  
She swallowed and gently freed one of her hands bringing it to Jeff's face so she could trace the contour of his cheek. "Oh Jeff..." she whispered.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Well, that's it! Just kidding, there's still the epilogue, which will hopefully tie up all the loose ends. Also, I am planning on drastically editing all the chapters to this story and I WILL have the story edited and revised before the epilogue goes out. Thanks to all the readers who came back-even after all this time. I really appreciate your support! Also, if you find yourself with a spare second after finishing this story, feel free to leave a review. I would really appreciate that too! Thanks!  
  
Tschüs!  
  
-Abysst 


	11. Epilogue

Author's Notes: So whatever happened between Hilde and Jeff? And what about Duo, what ever became of him? Well, you'll now find out.  
  
Epilogue:  
  
***  
  
The rush and bustle of the airport terminal washed over Hilde as she hurried down the hall trying to work her way through a pack of people coming from the opposite direction. A black plastic briefcase occupied one hand and a navy blue blazer occupied the other. She wore a white blouse and a short navy blue skirt, which mixed with her dark blue pumps, didn't make for the easiest trip. Her heels groaned in agony as she quickened her pace glancing nervously at one of the passing clocks.  
  
She found the correct terminal and paused while scanning the crowd mulling before the plane entrance. A flash of golden hair caught her attention and she directed her course towards it. "Relena!" she called when she was within hearing distance.  
  
The woman turned toward the source of her name and her worried face broke into a grin. Hilde reached out and embraced the politic smiling as well. "The flight's been delayed," Relena informed her turning back to examining the horizon of the runway. "Actually, the plane has even arrived yet."  
  
"Well good," Hilde said and put down her briefcase unhooking the levers and brandishing a case full of camera parts. As she assembled her camera, Hilde said, "That means I have time to take a picture." She took a shot of Relena posing by the window and then produced a folder of papers from a hidden pocket on the inside of the briefcase. She handed it to Relena saying, "Here, you left these," while putting away her camera.  
  
"Honestly, I don't know how I ever survived without you," Relena said taking the papers and tucking them away into a bag of her own.  
  
"Yeah," Hilde said contemplatively. It had been nearly a year since she had moved in with Relena becoming the foreign ambassador's full time secretary. The pair's friendship had grown quickly and Hilde regarded Relena as nothing less than a sister. "Relena," she said frowning slightly, "Are you alright? You almost seem...content."  
  
Relena's eyes widened and she flashed Hilde a sly look. Taking the brunette by the hand she led her away from the crowd into a secluded corner. "He talked to me," she whispered.  
  
Hilde gaped in open shock, "Heero?! But how? When?" she asked.  
  
"Right after Blake disappeared," Relena responded, "After the court hearing I was going out to my car and he was in the backseat! Don't ask me how, I don't have a clue, and if the police were ever even aware, they didn't bother to tell me. He just said everything would turn out alright, and that he would be fine. I guess he could tell how upset I was. He said the only thing he wanted was for me to agree to go. I don't know how he knew that I _wasn't_ going to go, but he did and he told me that I needed to be there for it to be believable."  
  
"Well of course it would seem believable," Hilde retorted. Her wary feelings of the convicted murderer had never completely vanished. "This _is_ his _execution_ we're talking about."  
  
"But don't you see?" Relena said. "Everything's going to be okay. He told me himself."  
  
Hilde regarded her friend sensitively. She didn't want to disappoint Relena, but at the same time, the blonde wasn't acting entirely reasonable. "Relena," she said hesitantly, "just don't get your hopes up, okay?"  
  
Relena gave Hilde a brilliant smile. "Don't worry about me," she said.  
  
The speaker came on and a flight attendant announced the plane's arrival. First class passengers had to get prepared to board. Relena gathered her bags and purse. "Say Relena," Hilde started as she followed her friend in line.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You didn't happen to ask Heero if he knew anything about Duo, did you? I mean, now that Blake's gone and everything." Hilde thought back to the strange occurrence. She dreamt one night that Duo came and visited her and explaining that Blake had gotten into trouble with his boss, and that she probably wouldn't ever see his face again. She had felt relieved. His face had in fact haunted her nightmares. The next morning was Heero's sentencing. Blake made sure to do everything in his legal power to give Heero a fast sentence, which was granted. However, when Relena arrived at the court, she didn't find Blake there. As a matter of fact, she never saw him again. He had disappeared without a trace.  
  
"I did," Relena affirmed. "He said that because Blake was gone, and Duo had no other serious adversaries, he would be free to do as he pleases. He said that the organization he works for never holds their agents long, that it's too much of a risk for discovery. He said that even their top agents only worked a few years."  
  
"Oh," Hilde replied. She still had her doubts that this 'organization' even existed. Relena on the other hand had no trouble whatsoever grasping the concept. Hilde sensed it rather appealed to her.  
  
The last of the passengers left the plane and Relena got in line. "I'll call you tonight," Relena promised. She smiled. "Wish me luck!"  
  
"Good luck," Hilde called back and then maneuvered to a spot by the window where she waited while all the other passengers boarded and then as the plane slowly backed up, turned around, followed a strip of runway, turn, and finally take off. The process took a good forty-five minutes, but Hilde didn't mind waiting.  
  
When at last the glittering spark of the plane was too swallowed in the blue of the sky to discern, Hilde got up from her perch by the window and turned to leave. She nearly collided into the figure of a man behind her. He was clothed completely in black with black shades and Hilde felt her heart momentarily leap into her throat. "Excuse me," she muttered and began to walk away wanting to put distance between herself and the strange man.  
  
"No problem," the man replied and grinned from below his shades. Reaching up, he pulled them down and revealed two cobalt orbs. "Hey there Hildey, long time no see."  
  
"Duo?" Hilde whispered in utter loss. She blinked and examined him again. "Duo!" she cried and launched herself at him, much to both of their surprise.  
  
"Woah now, you've been taking lessons from Steve?" Duo asked automatically taking her briefcase and coat from her. "What's all this? You get yourself a new line of occupation or something?" he asked.  
  
"I became Relena's secretary," Hilde informed him waving a nonchalant hand in the air. "And I'm now a bon a fide photographer."  
  
"Well, I must admit, I'm impressed."  
  
"What about you?" Hilde asked. "What did _you_ do after you left?"  
  
"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," Duo answered.  
  
Hilde rolled her eyes. "Well, will you ever tell me?" she asked.  
  
"Maybe someday..." was his elusive reply and then the matter was closed.  
  
"I moved in with Relena," Hilde informed him. "Steve loves it. There's a park right behind the complex."  
  
"I know," he responded and Hilde regarded him curiously.  
  
"Duo," she said, "did you...that night a few months ago...I could've sworn I was just dreaming, but you were there, weren't you?"  
  
He merely shrugged and grinned.  
  
They continued walking in silence for a few moments more when Hilde abruptly grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and pivoted him so that he was facing her. "Duo, why did you come back?" she asked.  
  
"Well I _do_ need a place to stay."  
  
"Duo, I'm serious this time," her features grew grave. "I've already had my heart broken too many times. I don't need another upset from the only guy whose ever earned respect from me."  
  
Duo considered her a second before carefully setting down her briefcase and lying her coat on top of that. Standing back up he took her face in his hands. "I will _never_ hurt you," he said.  
  
The truth of his words sliced through her heart surer than any knife. She thought back to Jeff-the first time she thought about him in months. That night he had shown up in her living room. He seemed so different. He seemed changed, more sincere and loving than he had ever been in their entire relationship.  
  
"You're too late, Jeff," she had explained. "I understand that you want to do things the right way now, and you have my utmost support, but I'm afraid that there is no more 'us.' Jeff, we died long before this. I would never be completely happy with you. Not anymore. And not only would that not be fair to me, but it also wouldn't be fair to _you_. You would sense that I was unhappy and would eventually be unhappy yourself. I used to worship you Jeff, but I've had to abandon that reverence. I can't simply go back and get it. I'm sorry Jeff, but we have to part ways now."  
  
But Jeff's word was incomparable to Duo's. Even after his transformation, that doubt lingering off who Jeff once was tarnished whatever honest thing he had to say afterward. Hilde cupped Duo's face in her own hands as she mused this. Donning a smile, she whispered, "I know."  
  
Duo grinned in return and leaned in pulling her face close to his. A feeling of déjà vu swept over her senses as she recalled that night on the beach nearly a year ago. However, Steve was now at home and had no way to interfere. Nothing could ruin the moment. Except...  
  
"What if you have to leave?" Hilde asked before their lips could touch.  
  
Duo gently traced the curve of her cheek with his thumb. "I'll come back," he answered. "I'll always come back."  
  
This time there was nothing to block the inevitable union of their souls. They kissed without heeding the people passing around them, and the people didn't want to disturb the couple who obviously had been parted for a great amount of time only to be reunited at last.  
  
***  
  
Author's FINAL Notes: Wow, it's finally done! Well, I've certainly enjoyed writing this little piece (which almost took me two years to write!) But now it's finally completed. As you can tell, there are a few loose ends that I left open which include Relena and Heero and their whole plight. However, as to whether I will actually take the time to write a spin off and go into details...well...I wouldn't hold my breath. But let me know what you think about the idea, I appreciate all input. And speaking of input, I would especially appreciate it if you would tell me what you thought of this fic in ONE FINAL REVIEW! Thanks again especially to all those people who persistently checked this fic and wrote me emails expressing their desire to see another chapter. This fic is dedicated to you!  
  
Tschüs!  
  
-Abysst 


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